Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Trading Up 5.6% – Should You Buy?

Posted by Francis Steltz on May 13th, 2026

Shares of Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB – Get Free Report) shot up 5.6% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $127.24 and last traded at $124.15. 26,329,722 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 12% from the average session volume of 23,512,811 shares. The stock had previously closed at $117.56.

Key Stories Impacting Rocket Lab

Here are the key news stories impacting Rocket Lab this week:

Positive Sentiment: Rocket Lab’s first-quarter results showed revenue growth of about 63% year over year and a smaller-than-expected loss, while second-quarter guidance came in well above Wall Street expectations, reinforcing the company’s growth trajectory. Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock Trades Up, Here Is Why
Positive Sentiment: Needham and other analysts raised price targets following the earnings beat, signaling improving confidence in Rocket Lab’s execution and longer-term outlook. Why Is Rocket Lab Stock Surging On Wednesday?
Positive Sentiment: Investors are betting that Neutron launches later this year could open a much larger addressable market and help Rocket Lab compete more directly in the medium-lift rocket segment. Rocket Lab Stock Is Getting a Major Lift. Investors Are Betting on Its Neutron Launch Later This Year.
Positive Sentiment: Anduril reportedly hired Rocket Lab to help with hypersonics work, adding to the company’s credibility as a broader aerospace and defense partner beyond launch services. Anduril Hires Rocket Lab to Help It With Hypersonics
Neutral Sentiment: Broader enthusiasm across space-related stocks, helped by SpaceX IPO speculation and orbital data center headlines, is adding momentum to the sector and supporting RKLB sentiment. Space Stocks Jump As SpaceX, Google Explore Orbital Data Center Deal
Neutral Sentiment: Some articles note the stock has already rallied significantly and may be stretched after the move, with a few investors questioning whether profits should be taken after the recent surge. Rocket Lab Stock Advances 74% in 3 Months: Time to Take Profits?
Negative Sentiment: Some commentary warns that Neutron development risk and supply-chain constraints could delay backlog conversion and revenue timing, which could temper expectations if execution slips. Rocket Lab Stock Advances 74% in 3 Months: Time to Take Profits?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

RKLB has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Rocket Lab in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $60.00 price objective on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 target price on shares of Rocket Lab in a research note on Tuesday. Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $105.00 price target (up from $90.00) on shares of Rocket Lab in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Zacks Research cut shares of Rocket Lab from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on shares of Rocket Lab from $95.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Rocket Lab currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $93.67.

View Our Latest Research Report on RKLB

Rocket Lab Stock Up 5.6%

The company’s 50-day moving average price is $75.44 and its 200 day moving average price is $69.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 4.02 and a current ratio of 4.47. The stock has a market cap of $70.69 billion, a PE ratio of -387.97 and a beta of 2.30.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.07) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of ($0.07). Rocket Lab had a negative net margin of 26.87% and a negative return on equity of 11.72%. The company had revenue of $200.35 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $189.65 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted ($0.12) earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 63.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Adam C. Spice sold 62,744 shares of Rocket Lab stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.59, for a total transaction of $4,366,354.96. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 1,296,824 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $90,245,982.16. The trade was a 4.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Merline Saintil sold 18,126 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.04, for a total transaction of $1,360,175.04. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 261,903 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,653,201.12. This represents a 6.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 233,449 shares of company stock worth $16,487,233. Company insiders own 8.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rocket Lab

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in RKLB. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of Rocket Lab in the third quarter worth $25,000. Hara Capital LLC bought a new position in Rocket Lab in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Rocket Lab in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in Rocket Lab by 352.5% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 543 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 423 shares during the period. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Rocket Lab during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.78% of the company’s stock.

About Rocket Lab

(Get Free Report)

Rocket Lab is an aerospace company that provides launch services, spacecraft, and space systems for commercial and government customers. The company’s primary launch vehicle is Electron, a small-lift orbital rocket designed to deploy small satellites and rideshare payloads to low Earth orbit. Rocket Lab also develops and manufactures the Rutherford engine, noted for its electric-pump-fed design and additive-manufactured components, which powers Electron and supports the company’s propulsion capabilities.