Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Trading Up 2% – Still a Buy?

Posted by Francis Steltz on Aug 29th, 2026

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB – Get Free Report) shares shot up 2% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $67.57 and last traded at $67.53. 11,250,866 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 52% from the average session volume of 23,505,256 shares. The stock had previously closed at $66.18.

Key Rocket Lab News

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

Positive Sentiment: Defense and space-systems demand remain important growth drivers. Rocket Lab is benefiting from its selection by Viasat to build spacecraft buses for the U.S. Space Force’s Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global program. Its HASTE hypersonic test platform is also expanding the company’s exposure to Pentagon missions, supporting the view that Rocket Lab is more than an Electron launch provider. Rocket Lab HASTE defense coverage
Positive Sentiment: Electron execution and analyst revisions offer potential support. Rocket Lab has reached 93 Electron launches, while some analysts have raised earnings estimates. A hammer chart pattern has also prompted bottom-fishing interest after the decline. Rocket Lab bottom-fisher coverage
Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly bullish, but the valuation requires strong execution. Rocket Lab carries a reported “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $110.65, but the company remains unprofitable and trades at a high valuation relative to current earnings. Its elevated beta also leaves the stock vulnerable to sharp swings.
Negative Sentiment: Neutron timing is the largest operational risk. Reports that the medium-lift Neutron rocket’s first launch could slip into 2027 have weakened a key investment thesis. The delay would postpone a major revenue and valuation catalyst while extending development costs. Rocket Lab Neutron timeline coverage
Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds to near-term pressure. Five executives sold approximately $5.5 million of shares, including sizable sales by the CFO and COO. The transactions were made under Rule 10b5-1 plans to cover tax withholding on vested restricted stock units, reducing their significance, though no comparable insider buying was reported. Rocket Lab executive sale coverage
Negative Sentiment: Profitability remains a concern. Rocket Lab’s latest quarterly revenue exceeded expectations, but its $0.08-per-share loss was wider than forecast. Continued annual losses make the stock particularly sensitive to acquisition uncertainty, Neutron delays, and any slowdown in launch or defense growth.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on RKLB shares. Craig Hallum upped their price objective on Rocket Lab from $98.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on shares of Rocket Lab in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $83.00 price objective on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Rocket Lab from $73.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on Rocket Lab from $90.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $110.65.

Get Our Latest Report on Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab Stock Performance

The stock’s 50 day moving average is $77.80 and its 200 day moving average is $84.98. The company has a current ratio of 5.48, a quick ratio of 4.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The firm has a market cap of $38.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -238.47 and a beta of 2.60.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.08) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $234.07 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $231.62 million. Rocket Lab had a negative net margin of 21.51% and a negative return on equity of 6.48%. Analysts anticipate that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Rocket Lab

In other Rocket Lab news, insider Marvin Bradford Clevenger sold 15,051 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.63, for a total transaction of $1,048,001.13. Following the transaction, the insider owned 458,924 shares in the company, valued at $31,954,878.12. This trade represents a 3.18% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Director Alexander R. Slusky sold 40,000 shares of Rocket Lab stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.60, for a total value of $4,944,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 334,675 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $41,365,830. This represents a 10.68% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 3,524,214 shares of company stock worth $309,110,848. 8.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Rocket Lab

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. California State Teachers Retirement System grew its position in shares of Rocket Lab by 12,984.2% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 96,179,045 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $9,776,600,000 after purchasing an additional 95,443,970 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Rocket Lab in the second quarter valued at approximately $4,124,970,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of Rocket Lab in the second quarter valued at approximately $245,764,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Rocket Lab during the fourth quarter worth approximately $341,036,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in Rocket Lab during the second quarter worth approximately $437,280,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.