Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Shares Up 17.7% – What’s Next?

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB)’s share price was up 17.7% on Friday . The company traded as high as $70.56 and last traded at $70.52. Approximately 51,210,244 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 145% from the average daily volume of 20,936,615 shares. The stock had previously closed at $59.92.

Rocket Lab News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rocket Lab completed the STP‑S30 mission for the U.S. Space Force five months ahead of schedule, deploying four DiskSats and marking its 20th Electron launch of the year — a concrete demonstration of operational reliability that supports more defense and institutional business. Rocket Lab Executes Successful Launch of STP‑S30 Mission for the Department of War
• Positive Sentiment: Investors reacted to reports of a large new deal (coverage calls it potentially ~$805M), which would materially boost backlog versus trailing revenue and improves forward revenue visibility if realized. Why Rocket Lab Stock Is Skyrocketing Today
• Positive Sentiment: Broader space‑stock optimism (including renewed talk of a SpaceX IPO and executive actions boosting lunar programs) has lifted sector multiples and helped RKLB recapture investor interest. Rocket Lab Stock Jumps — Sector Optimism Lifts Space Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America and other analysts see the space industry ripe for consolidation, which could favor market leaders like Rocket Lab but is uncertain in timing and impact. BofA Suggests Rocket Lab is Operating in a Space Industry Ripe for Consolidation
• Neutral Sentiment: Several brokerages have raised targets or reiterated Buy/Overweight ratings after recent operational wins; analyst support helps sentiment but doesn’t guarantee fundamentals will catch up. Rocket Lab analyst coverage and price targets
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling (large CEO sales disclosed and recent director sales) is being highlighted in media coverage and has pressured the stock at times, introducing a governance/float‑supply concern for some investors. Rocket Lab Trading Down on Insider Selling
• Negative Sentiment: Director Merline Saintil’s recent share sale was reported separately and adds to the visible insider dispositions noted by the market. Rocket Lab’s Sharp Rebound: What’s Behind the Recent Momentum

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on RKLB shares. KeyCorp raised their price target on shares of Rocket Lab from $50.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Roth Capital reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $75.00 price objective on shares of Rocket Lab in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Baird R W upgraded Rocket Lab to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Rocket Lab from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Rocket Lab currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $58.17.

Rocket Lab Stock Up 17.7%

The stock has a 50-day moving average of $54.38 and a 200 day moving average of $46.74. The company has a market capitalization of $37.67 billion, a PE ratio of -185.58 and a beta of 2.20. The company has a quick ratio of 2.83, a current ratio of 3.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 10th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.03) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.05) by $0.02. Rocket Lab had a negative return on equity of 27.26% and a negative net margin of 35.64%.The business had revenue of $155.08 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $152.45 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.10) earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 48.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Rocket Lab

In other news, SVP Arjun Kampani sold 10,554 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.08, for a total transaction of $444,112.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 450,460 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,955,356.80. This represents a 2.29% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Merline Saintil sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.46, for a total transaction of $272,300.00. Following the sale, the director owned 393,529 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,431,589.34. The trade was a 1.25% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 2,697,171 shares of company stock worth $149,644,782. 11.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rocket Lab

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Baillie Gifford & Co. raised its stake in shares of Rocket Lab by 176.1% in the third quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 12,125,910 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $580,952,000 after buying an additional 7,734,788 shares during the period. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC purchased a new stake in Rocket Lab in the 2nd quarter worth about $192,918,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Rocket Lab in the 2nd quarter valued at about $164,751,000. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Rocket Lab by 67.0% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,242,304 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $223,287,000 after acquiring an additional 2,504,054 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Rocket Lab by 5.4% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 41,809,723 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $2,003,104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,127,565 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.78% of the company’s stock.

About Rocket Lab

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.