Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Trading 6.8% Higher After Analyst Upgrade

Posted by Francis Steltz on May 16th, 2026

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB – Get Free Report)’s share price traded up 6.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday after New Street Research upgraded the stock to a strong-buy rating. The stock traded as high as $133.18 and last traded at $132.55. 24,910,460 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 6% from the average session volume of 23,548,742 shares. The stock had previously closed at $124.15.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on RKLB. Roth Mkm raised their target price on shares of Rocket Lab from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Citizens Jmp raised their target price on shares of Rocket Lab from $85.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Rocket Lab from $60.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Rocket Lab from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $67.00 to $105.00 in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Rocket Lab from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $97.19.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Rocket Lab

Insider Transactions at Rocket Lab

In related news, CEO Peter Beck sold 18,857 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.59, for a total value of $1,312,258.63. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 884,085 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,523,475.15. This trade represents a 2.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Frank Klein sold 44,482 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.59, for a total transaction of $3,095,502.38. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 1,125,005 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $78,289,097.95. The trade was a 3.80% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 333,449 shares of company stock worth $28,295,233. 8.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Rocket Lab

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

Positive Sentiment: Investors are still reacting to Rocket Lab’s Q1 earnings beat, with revenue up 63% year over year to about $200.4 million and a backlog of $2.2 billion, reinforcing confidence in the company’s growth trajectory. Why Rocket Lab Stock Is Rocketing Higher This Week
Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment has improved after the report, including a higher price target from Deutsche Bank and additional bullish commentary that suggests Wall Street sees more upside if execution stays strong. Why Rocket Lab Stock Is Rocketing Higher This Week
Positive Sentiment: Momentum is also being fueled by optimism around Rocket Lab’s Neutron rocket program, which investors see as a potential catalyst for expansion into a larger launch market later this year. Rocket Lab Stock Is Getting a Major Lift. Investors Are Betting on Its Neutron Launch Later This Year.
Positive Sentiment: New contract wins and defense-related expansion, including work tied to missile defense and hypersonics, are helping investors view Rocket Lab as more than just a small-satellite launch company. Rocket Lab Targets Missile Defense and Golden Dome as Its Next Growth Market
Neutral Sentiment: Some investors are also watching the recent insider selling by director Alexander Slusky, which may weigh on sentiment at these elevated levels but does not change the company’s operating story. Director Alexander R. Slusky transaction filing

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of RKLB. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Rocket Lab by 114.0% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 174,308 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $3,117,000 after buying an additional 92,849 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in Rocket Lab by 1,812.1% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 36,807 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $658,000 after buying an additional 34,882 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in Rocket Lab by 53.8% in the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 15,745 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $282,000 after buying an additional 5,507 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in Rocket Lab by 13.3% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 773,548 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $13,831,000 after buying an additional 90,758 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth grew its stake in Rocket Lab by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 67,584 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,206,000 after buying an additional 681 shares during the last quarter. 71.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Rocket Lab Stock Down 5.9%

The business’s 50 day moving average is $78.81 and its 200-day moving average is $70.82. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $71.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -389.91 and a beta of 2.30.

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

Rocket Lab Company Profile

(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.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Rocket Lab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rocket Lab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.