Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Stock Price Up 3.5% – Here’s What Happened

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB)’s stock price was up 3.5% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $72.74 and last traded at $72.65. Approximately 17,601,081 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 20% from the average daily volume of 22,072,912 shares. The stock had previously closed at $70.20.

More Rocket Lab News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and previews expect robust top-line growth (consensus ~34% YoY) and the potential for Rocket Lab to beat estimates, which supports upside if management delivers guidance/metrics in line or better. Benzinga Q4 Preview
• Positive Sentiment: Recent operational win: the Cassowary Vex hypersonic test (HASTE rocket) completed successfully, reinforcing Rocket Lab’s defense contracting relevance and revenue diversification into hypersonics/testing programs. Yahoo: Hypersonic Test
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest fell sharply in February (down ~43.6% vs. late January), reducing a source of downward pressure and the potential for squeeze-driven volatility. (Short-interest data reported in filings and market summaries)
• Neutral Sentiment: Market attention is concentrated on post-close earnings and live coverage; real-time reactions may amplify intraday moves depending on beats/misses and guidance. 24/7 Wall St. Live Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Betting/odds markets and investor polls (Polymarket coverage) show interest but are not definitive indicators—useful for sentiment but not a substitute for fundamentals. TipRanks/Polymarket
• Negative Sentiment: Concerns persist: Rocket Lab carries a premium valuation despite negative GAAP EPS, and analysts flag high operating costs that could keep profitability distant even if revenue beats. Yahoo: Buy Ahead? (Risks)
• Negative Sentiment: Market memory of a recent qualifying test failure and execution risks in scaling launches/hypersonic services add downside risk if management provides cautious guidance or misses key execution milestones. The Motley Fool: Risks & Test Failure

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America increased their target price on Rocket Lab from $60.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Rocket Lab from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. Zacks Research cut Rocket Lab from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC increased their target price on Rocket Lab from $63.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.92.

Rocket Lab Stock Up 3.5%

The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $77.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $60.75. The company has a current ratio of 3.18, a quick ratio of 2.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -191.18 and a beta of 2.16.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.09) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.05) by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $179.65 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $178.18 million. Rocket Lab had a negative net margin of 35.64% and a negative return on equity of 27.26%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Edward H. Frank sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director owned 142,504 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,028,384.56. This represents a 1.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Frank Klein sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.95, for a total value of $7,295,000.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 1,169,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $85,314,076.65. This represents a 7.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 4,138,979 shares of company stock worth $265,048,346. 11.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Rocket Lab

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Aventura Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Rocket Lab during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Rocket Lab during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new position in shares of Rocket Lab during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Gordian Capital Singapore Pte Ltd bought a new position in Rocket Lab in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Ankerstar Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Rocket Lab in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. 71.78% of the stock is currently 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.