Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Stock Price Up 4.7% – Still a Buy?

Posted by Francis Steltz on Sep 24th, 2026

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB – Get Free Report)’s stock price shot up 4.7% during mid-day trading on Thursday. The company traded as high as $75.46 and last traded at $73.61. 24,937,786 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 8% from the average session volume of 23,159,822 shares. The stock had previously closed at $70.31.

More Rocket Lab News

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

Positive Sentiment: Rocket Lab won a position on the Space Force’s NITE-STAR contract vehicle, which has a potential value of up to $981 million through 2036. Although the award does not guarantee Rocket Lab’s share of that spending, it expands the company’s access to military test and training work and reinforces its government business. Redwire, Rocket Lab, Firefly Split a $981 Million Space Force Pie
Positive Sentiment: ARK Invest purchased approximately $25 million of Rocket Lab shares across its funds. Cathie Wood’s continued buying provides a visible vote of confidence in Rocket Lab’s Electron launch business, the planned Neutron rocket and longer-term space infrastructure prospects. Cathie Wood Just Made Another Big Bet on Rocket Lab
Positive Sentiment: SpaceX’s expected reduction in third-party rideshare capacity could create a temporary supply gap in orbital launches. That may improve pricing power and demand for independent providers such as Rocket Lab, particularly as it prepares to commercialize Neutron. 3 Space Stocks to Watch as SpaceX Reshapes the Launch Market
Neutral Sentiment: The broader space-stock rally is lifting Rocket Lab alongside Planet Labs and AST SpaceMobile, indicating that some of the buying reflects sector-wide momentum rather than a company-specific development. Space Stocks Rally as Buying Spreads Across the Pure Plays
Negative Sentiment: Rocket Lab’s proposed Iridium acquisition could expand its communications and satellite platform, but investors must weigh the strategic benefits against financing needs, integration risk and the possibility that the deal stretches an already elevated valuation. The Price Isn’t Right, Says Top Investor About Rocket Lab Stock
Negative Sentiment: Rocket Lab remains loss-making and trades at a demanding valuation, leaving the stock vulnerable if Neutron development slips, launch growth disappoints or the Space Force opportunity produces less revenue than its headline value suggests.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on RKLB shares. 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 target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus set a $132.00 target price on Rocket Lab in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Rocket Lab from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. Finally, Craig Hallum boosted 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. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $107.32.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab Trading Up 4.7%

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $69.17 and a 200-day moving average of $84.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 4.98 and a current ratio of 5.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -272.62 and a beta of 2.60.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.08) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $234.07 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $231.62 million. Rocket Lab had a negative return on equity of 6.48% and a negative net margin of 21.51%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Rocket Lab

In related news, CEO Peter Beck sold 1,298,622 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $84.92, for a total value of $110,278,980.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 2,715,181 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $230,573,170.52. This represents a 32.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Frank Klein sold 45,692 shares of Rocket Lab stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.63, for a total value of $3,181,533.96. Following the sale, the insider owned 961,295 shares in the company, valued at $66,934,970.85. This represents a 4.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 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. In the last quarter, insiders sold 3,536,371 shares of company stock valued at $303,442,641. 8.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rocket Lab

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Rocket Lab by 164.7% in the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 97,177 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $9,878,000 after buying an additional 60,461 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. grew its holdings in Rocket Lab by 231.1% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 16,292 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $1,656,000 after acquiring an additional 11,372 shares in the last quarter. Andra AP fonden grew its holdings in Rocket Lab by 2,547.4% during the 2nd quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 416,676 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $42,355,000 after acquiring an additional 400,937 shares in the last quarter. Reynders McVeigh Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Rocket Lab in the 2nd quarter worth about $129,570,000. Finally, Cherry Tree Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Rocket Lab in the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. 71.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Rocket Lab Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Rocket Lab USA, Inc is a space company that provides launch services and space systems for commercial, civil and national security customers. The company develops and operates launch vehicles, spacecraft and satellite components, with activities spanning the design, manufacture and operation of space hardware.

Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket is a small-lift orbital launch vehicle designed to deploy small satellites. The company also develops HASTE, a suborbital test vehicle based on Electron technology, and is developing Neutron, a larger reusable launch vehicle intended to support a broader range of missions.