Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Upgraded by Piper Sandler to Hold Rating

Posted by Francis Steltz on Jul 17th, 2026

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB – Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Piper Sandler to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Rocket Lab from $90.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Craig Hallum lifted their target price on Rocket Lab from $98.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Rocket Lab from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Roth Capital increased their price target on Rocket Lab from $100.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Rocket Lab presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $110.18.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab Stock Down 11.6%

Rocket Lab stock opened at $67.35 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $108.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $87.29. Rocket Lab has a fifty-two week low of $37.57 and a fifty-two week high of $151.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -210.47 and a beta of 2.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 4.47 and a quick ratio of 4.02.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.07) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.07). The firm had revenue of $200.35 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $189.65 million. Rocket Lab had a negative net margin of 26.87% and a negative return on equity of 11.72%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 63.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.12) earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Rocket Lab will post -0.26 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Rocket Lab

In other news, Director Alexander R. Slusky sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.60, for a total transaction of $4,944,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 334,675 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $41,365,830. This represents a 10.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Arjun Kampani sold 88,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.98, for a total transaction of $9,502,240.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 264,705 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,582,845.90. The trade was a 24.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 3,849,294 shares of company stock valued at $362,816,208 over the last three months. Insiders own 8.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Rocket Lab

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Baillie Gifford & Co. boosted its position in shares of Rocket Lab by 47.2% during the fourth quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 17,851,446 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $1,245,317,000 after buying an additional 5,725,536 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Rocket Lab by 13.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 47,420,192 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $3,308,033,000 after acquiring an additional 5,610,469 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Rocket Lab during the 4th quarter worth approximately $341,036,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted 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 acquiring an additional 1,951,755 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors grew its stake in shares of Rocket Lab by 12.0% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 16,200,726 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $1,130,172,000 after acquiring an additional 1,738,623 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.78% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Rocket Lab

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

Positive Sentiment: Rocket Lab continues to report strong business momentum, including rapid revenue growth, a large backlog, and progress toward becoming an end-to-end space company. The company is also building out launch infrastructure and expanding its defense-related opportunity set, including potential upside from the Space Force’s NSSL launch program if Neutron succeeds. Article Title
Positive Sentiment: Analysts have pointed to Rocket Lab’s recent acquisitions and growing position in the space industry as reasons for long-term optimism, with some still maintaining bullish views despite the selloff. Article Title
Neutral Sentiment: Several articles are comparing Rocket Lab with peers like AST SpaceMobile and SpaceX, reinforcing that RKLB remains a high-profile name in a speculative sector, but not providing a major new company-specific catalyst. Article Title
Negative Sentiment: Piper Sandler initiated coverage with a Neutral rating and an $83 price target, which disappointed some investors and added to pressure on the shares. Article Title
Negative Sentiment: Investors are also reacting to concerns about dilution, a recent CEO share sale, and the stock’s stretched valuation after a huge run earlier in the year. Several commentaries now argue that space stocks, including Rocket Lab, may be too speculative at current levels. Article Title

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.