Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Stock Price Up 1% – What’s Next?

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB)’s share price traded up 1% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $94.45 and last traded at $88.90. 24,097,590 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 17% from the average session volume of 29,200,328 shares. The stock had previously closed at $87.98.

Trending Headlines about Rocket Lab

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

• Positive Sentiment: Completed first launch of 2026 — Rocket Lab conducted its 80th Electron mission, deploying two Open Cosmos satellites and reinforcing Electron’s reliability for small-sat customers; this supports near-term launch revenue and investor confidence. Rocket Lab Completes First 2026 Launch, Marks 80th Electron Mission
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism and upgrades — Bank of America and other brokers have recently issued bullish coverage/targets for RKLB, providing institutional validation that can sustain buying interest after last year’s strong run. Bank of America Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate after big 1‑year gain — Several pieces ask whether RKLB’s large (~196%) one‑year rally leaves upside limited, highlighting that investors should weigh growth prospects vs. rich multiples. Is It Too Late To Consider Rocket Lab (RKLB) After A 196% One Year Surge?
• Negative Sentiment: Neutron Stage 1 tank rupture during qualification testing — Rocket Lab confirmed a hydrostatic test rupture; while the company says there was no significant facility damage and a new tank is already in production, the incident introduces timing risk for Neutron’s first flight and creates execution uncertainty. Rocket Lab Neutron Test Update
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and commentary raising timeline concerns — Coverage and trading desks reported an intraday pullback after the rupture, emphasizing that Neutron delays or additional design changes could pressure sentiment and the stock if milestones slip. Why Is RKLB Sliding Today? Neutron Rocket Tank Rupture Raises Timeline Concerns

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Rocket Lab from $60.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $75.00 price target on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on shares of Rocket Lab from $63.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. Robert W. Baird upgraded Rocket Lab to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Rocket Lab from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven 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 data from MarketBeat.com, Rocket Lab currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.92.

Rocket Lab Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $47.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -233.95 and a beta of 2.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 3.18 and a quick ratio of 2.83. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $64.80 and its 200-day moving average is $55.62.

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

Insider Transactions at Rocket Lab

In other Rocket Lab news, Director Nina Armagno sold 27,314 shares of Rocket Lab stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.21, for a total value of $1,863,087.94. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 108,940 shares in the company, valued at $7,430,797.40. The trade was a 20.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Edward H. Frank sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.39, for a total transaction of $193,475.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 142,504 shares in the company, valued at $11,028,384.56. This represents a 1.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 4,306,150 shares of company stock worth $271,865,732 in the last quarter. 11.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in RKLB. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 2,127,565 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co. lifted its stake in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its stake in shares of Rocket Lab by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 14,462,103 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $692,879,000 after purchasing an additional 1,242,547 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Rocket Lab by 13.6% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 12,399,571 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $594,063,000 after purchasing an additional 1,487,237 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its position in Rocket Lab by 67.0% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,242,304 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $223,287,000 after purchasing an additional 2,504,054 shares in the last quarter. 71.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Rocket Lab Company Profile

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.