Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Stock Price Down 1.1% on Insider Selling

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB)’s stock price dropped 1.1% during trading on Thursday after an insider sold shares in the company. The company traded as low as $86.65 and last traded at $90.76. Approximately 24,613,591 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 14% from the average daily volume of 28,777,135 shares. The stock had previously closed at $91.80.

Specifically, Director Merline Saintil sold 96,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.58, for a total transaction of $8,311,680.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 292,529 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,327,160.82. The trade was a 24.71% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Roth Capital restated a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price on shares of Rocket Lab in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Rocket Lab from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Rocket Lab from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Rocket Lab from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 3rd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC upped their price objective on shares of Rocket Lab from $63.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $61.25.

Key Stories Impacting Rocket Lab

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

• Positive Sentiment: Major defense contract and backlog boost that sent shares to record highs; this is a substantive revenue/backlog catalyst underpinning the recent rally. Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock: Defense Contract Win Drives Shares to All-Time High
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile bullish analyst views (Cantor Fitzgerald / others) continue to position Rocket Lab as a top SpaceX alternative and lift longer-term investor interest. Rocket Lab: Premier Alternative To SpaceX in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded RKLB to a “strong-buy,” reflecting conviction among some analysts that upcoming execution milestones (launch cadence, Neutron progress) could support further upside. Zacks Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces and technical analysis highlight momentum and institutional activity (indicators, option “whale” trades), which can amplify moves but don’t change fundamentals. Check Out What Whales Are Doing With RKLB
• Neutral Sentiment: Perspective pieces assess whether RKLB is a buy after the run; they outline catalysts and risks (execution milestones, defense demand) but stop short of a consensus call. Is Rocket Lab Stock a Buy After Its Massive Run
• Negative Sentiment: KeyBanc downgraded RKLB from Overweight to Sector Weight, citing valuation and the risk that Neutron/launch execution may not justify the stock’s rapid run. That downgrade is the primary reason shares eased today. Rocket Lab Stock Gets A Rare Downgrade—Here’s Why
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts and commentaries warn that “Neutron euphoria” has pushed the stock into overheated territory and that a meaningful pullback could occur if execution slips or sentiment cools. Neutron Euphoria Has Pushed RKLB Into Sell Territory

Rocket Lab Stock Down 1.1%

The stock has a market capitalization of $48.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -238.84 and a beta of 2.16. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $59.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $53.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 3.18 and a quick ratio of 2.83.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) last issued its earnings results on Monday, November 10th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.03) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.05) by $0.02. The company had revenue of $155.08 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $152.45 million. Rocket Lab had a negative net margin of 35.64% and a negative return on equity of 27.26%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 48.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.10) EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of RKLB. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in Rocket Lab by 114.0% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 174,308 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $3,117,000 after purchasing an additional 92,849 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in Rocket Lab by 1,812.1% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 36,807 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $658,000 after buying an additional 34,882 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in Rocket Lab by 53.8% during the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 15,745 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $282,000 after acquiring an additional 5,507 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in Rocket Lab by 13.3% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 773,548 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $13,831,000 after acquiring an additional 90,758 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth increased its position in Rocket Lab by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 67,584 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,206,000 after acquiring an additional 681 shares in the last quarter. 71.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.