Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ:NTRS) is a prominent financial services company offering a wide range of services including asset servicing, fund administration, investment management, and banking solutions. It has a global presence, catering to corporations, institutions, and affluent individuals. In the competitive financial services landscape, Northern Trust competes with entities like State Street Corporation, Comerica Incorporated, M&T Bank Corporation, Zions Bancorporation, and Marsh & McLennan Companies.

In an analysis of Northern Trust's financial efficiency, the company's Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) is 6.78%, and its Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) is 19.12%. This yields a ROIC to WACC ratio of 0.35, signaling that Northern Trust is not generating returns above its cost of capital. This ratio is pivotal as it illustrates the effectiveness of a company in utilizing its capital to generate profits.

On the other hand, State Street Corporation exhibits a ROIC of 63.17% against a WACC of 15.35%, leading to a ROIC to WACC ratio of 4.12. This indicates State Street's superior efficiency in generating returns well above its cost of capital, distinguishing it among its competitors.

Comerica Incorporated has a ROIC of 3.40% and a WACC of 12.35%, resulting in a ROIC to WACC ratio of 0.28. This suggests that Comerica, similar to Northern Trust, faces challenges in generating returns above its cost of capital, pointing to potential areas for improvement in capital utilization.

M&T Bank Corporation and Zions Bancorporation have ROIC to WACC ratios of 0.60 and 0.26, respectively. M&T Bank demonstrates a more favorable balance between returns and cost of capital compared to Northern Trust, whereas Zions Bancorporation encounters similar hurdles in capital efficiency. Marsh & McLennan Companies, with a ROIC to WACC ratio of 1.84, shows a robust capability to generate returns above its cost of capital, albeit not as high as State Street.