Rocket Lab Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NASDAQ:RKLB)

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) saw some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Investors purchased 172,414 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 18% compared to the typical volume of 146,568 call options.

Key Stories Impacting Rocket Lab

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley’s upgrade and broader analyst bullishness helped lift investor sentiment, reinforcing a narrative that Rocket Lab is graduating into a larger, defense-driven growth profile. Upgrade, Defense Contract Prompt Rallies For Two Space Stocks
• Positive Sentiment: Large defense contract wins and backlog expansion (reports of major U.S. government awards and a sizable SDA contract cited in coverage) materially increase near-term revenue visibility and underpin analyst forecasts for sizable 2026 growth. Defense Contract Win Drives Shares to All-Time High
• Positive Sentiment: Deep-dive coverage projects Rocket Lab could approach ~$900M in 2026 revenue as Defense & Space Systems backlog converts and Neutron/Electron execution scales — a bullish fundamental case that supports higher valuations if execution holds. Rocket Lab Enters A Different League
• Neutral Sentiment: Market structure items (momentum indicators, heavy options activity and “whale” trades) have amplified intraday moves; these flows can drive outsized volatility but don’t change the underlying contracts/backlog facts. Check Out What Whales Are Doing With RKLB
• Negative Sentiment: KeyBanc downgraded RKLB from Overweight to Sector Weight, citing valuation concerns and that recent enthusiasm may be overextended; that note triggered profit-taking and weighs on near-term momentum. KeyBanc downgrades Rocket Lab (RKLB)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by director Merline Saintil (large disposals across consecutive days) has been publicly filed; sizable insider sales can spook some investors or be interpreted as lockup monetization. SEC Filing – Insider Sales
• Negative Sentiment: Several commentators warn the rally may be overextended and vulnerable to a pullback if Neutron timelines slip or execution falters — a key risk for investors chasing momentum. Neutron Euphoria Has Pushed RKLB Into Sell Territory

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

RKLB has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Baird R W raised Rocket Lab to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Rocket Lab from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Zacks Research raised shares of Rocket Lab from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Rocket Lab from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the company from $67.00 to $105.00 in a research report on Friday. Three investment 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 given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Rocket Lab presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $64.42.

Rocket Lab Price Performance

Rocket Lab stock traded up $6.42 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $97.18. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 24,440,535 shares, compared to its average volume of 28,322,195. Rocket Lab has a 12 month low of $14.71 and a 12 month high of $99.58. The company has a quick ratio of 2.83, a current ratio of 3.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market capitalization of $51.91 billion, a PE ratio of -255.50 and a beta of 2.16. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $60.64 and its 200-day moving average price is $53.67.

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

Insider Activity at Rocket Lab

In other Rocket Lab news, CEO Peter Beck sold 1,560,254 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.47, for a total value of $89,667,797.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 939,746 shares in the company, valued at approximately $54,007,202.62. This represents a 62.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Merline Saintil sold 96,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director owned 292,529 shares in the company, valued at $25,327,160.82. The trade was a 24.71% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,306,150 shares of company stock valued at $271,865,732. Company insiders own 11.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rocket Lab

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of RKLB. ORG Partners LLC raised its holdings in Rocket Lab by 9.1% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,458 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $102,000 after buying an additional 121 shares during the period. Traynor Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Rocket Lab by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Traynor Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,191 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $502,000 after acquiring an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Rocket Lab by 2.1% during the third quarter. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 10,432 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $500,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares during the period. Keel Point LLC lifted its position in shares of Rocket Lab by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Keel Point LLC now owns 51,428 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $2,464,000 after acquiring an additional 226 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in Rocket Lab by 53.3% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 650 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.