Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Shares Gap Up – Still a Buy?

Posted by Brian Himes on Jun 29th, 2026

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB – Get Free Report)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $84.54, but opened at $91.30. Rocket Lab shares last traded at $91.4990, with a volume of 10,480,897 shares traded.

Rocket Lab News Summary

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

Positive Sentiment: Rocket Lab’s acquisition of Iridium could significantly broaden its business mix, combining launch, spacecraft, and satellite communications under one roof and strengthening its position in the commercial space economy. Rocket Lab to buy satellite communications firm Iridium in $8 billion deal
Positive Sentiment: The deal is being viewed as validation of consolidation across the satellite sector and as a step that could help Rocket Lab compete more directly with larger rivals such as SpaceX. Rocket Lab to buy satellite communications firm Iridium in $8 billion deal
Neutral Sentiment: The transaction is expected to close in mid-2027, so the near-term stock reaction is driven more by strategic optimism than immediate financial impact. Rocket Lab Stock Rises on $8 Billion Acquisition of Iridium Communications
Negative Sentiment: Some investors may worry about integration risk and whether Rocket Lab can deliver the profitability needed to justify such a large acquisition, especially after recent volatility in the stock. Why Rocket Lab Stock Plummeted This Week

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on RKLB shares. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on Rocket Lab from $73.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Clear Str raised Rocket Lab to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $132.00 target price on Rocket Lab in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Rocket Lab has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $102.76.

View Our Latest Research Report on Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab Price Performance

The company’s 50 day moving average is $107.48 and its 200 day moving average is $85.08. The company has a current ratio of 4.47, a quick ratio of 4.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $54.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -293.27 and a beta of 2.48.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.07) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of ($0.07). The company had revenue of $200.35 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $189.65 million. Rocket Lab had a negative net margin of 26.87% and a negative return on equity of 11.72%. Rocket Lab’s revenue for the quarter was up 63.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.12) earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Rocket Lab

In other Rocket Lab news, insider Frank Klein sold 36,860 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.42, for a total value of $5,433,901.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 1,006,987 shares in the company, valued at approximately $148,450,023.54. The trade was a 3.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Alexander R. Slusky sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.60, for a total value of $4,944,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 334,675 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $41,365,830. The trade was a 10.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 573,515 shares of company stock worth $76,412,122. Insiders own 8.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rocket Lab

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of RKLB. Baillie Gifford & Co. raised its position in Rocket Lab by 47.2% in the 4th quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 17,851,446 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,245,317,000 after purchasing an additional 5,725,536 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Rocket Lab by 13.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 47,420,192 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $3,308,033,000 after purchasing an additional 5,610,469 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Rocket Lab during the 4th quarter worth $341,036,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its position in Rocket Lab by 818.8% during the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,190,132 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $104,929,000 after purchasing an additional 1,951,755 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors increased its stake in Rocket Lab by 12.0% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 16,200,726 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,130,172,000 after purchasing an additional 1,738,623 shares during the period. 71.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.