Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. Reduces Stake in Rocket Lab Corporation $RKLB

Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. reduced its position in shares of Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) by 45.0% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 72,382 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock after selling 59,132 shares during the quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Rocket Lab were worth $5,049,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in RKLB. Arizona State Retirement System raised its holdings in Rocket Lab by 13.6% in the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 127,794 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $6,123,000 after purchasing an additional 15,307 shares during the period. Cadent Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Rocket Lab during the third quarter valued at about $668,000. Firsthand Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Rocket Lab by 40.0% during the third quarter. Firsthand Capital Management Inc. now owns 70,000 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $3,354,000 after purchasing an additional 20,000 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank increased its position in Rocket Lab by 67.7% in the third quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 1,243,630 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $59,582,000 after buying an additional 501,830 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Rocket Lab in the second quarter worth about $1,009,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.78% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

RKLB has been the topic of several analyst reports. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. KeyCorp cut shares of Rocket Lab from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and set a $85.00 target price on shares of Rocket Lab in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Rocket Lab from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $75.92.

Trending Headlines about Rocket Lab

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

• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory approval to acquire Mynaric — Rocket Lab won approval to buy Mynaric, bringing laser optical communications terminals in‑house. The deal strengthens Rocket Lab’s space‑systems stack for government and commercial customers and could accelerate wins in secure, high‑bandwidth links. Rocket Lab Receives Regulatory Approval to Acquire Mynaric
• Positive Sentiment: $190M HASTE DoD contract expands backlog — Rocket Lab secured its largest single launch contract (HASTE) worth ~$190M, boosting defense revenue visibility and adding to a multi‑billion dollar launch backlog. That contract underpins near‑term cash flows from government customers. Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB) Secures Second Largest $190M HASTE DoD Contract
• Positive Sentiment: Operational momentum — Rocket Lab completed its 85th launch and its first dedicated European Space Agency (ESA) mission, demonstrating repeatability and adding ESA to its agency roster. The successful Electron flight supports claims of precision for constellation and agency customers. Rocket Lab achieves its 85th launch with first dedicated ESA mission
• Neutral Sentiment: Long‑term valuation debate continues — Analysis argues Rocket Lab’s current ~$35B+ valuation is hard to justify on near‑term metrics but could make sense when modeled to 2035 if Neutron and services scale; this frames investor focus on timeline and execution risk. Rocket Lab’s $35 Billion Valuation Makes Little Sense – Until You Look at 2035
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/opinion pieces mixed — Several media pieces urge caution on space stocks generally and compare Rocket Lab to peers (AST, Redwire), reflecting divergence among investors over growth vs. near‑term profitability. The Space Sector Is Surging. Should You Buy AST SpaceMobile and Rocket Lab?
• Negative Sentiment: CEO slashes pay and forfeits equity awards — Leadership disclosed pay reductions and forfeited awards, a governance development that may concern some investors about management stability or regulatory/board pressure. Rocket Lab CEO Slashes Pay, Forfeits Equity Awards
• Negative Sentiment: Renewed valuation risk warnings — Some commentary highlights that new agency wins and launches don’t eliminate valuation risk; investors are reminded that expectations for Neutron and long‑term services growth must materialize to justify current multiples. Rocket Lab’s First ESA Launch Highlights Growing Agency Demand And Valuation Risk

Rocket Lab Stock Down 5.8%

Shares of NASDAQ RKLB opened at $57.38 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -155.08 and a beta of 2.20. Rocket Lab Corporation has a 12-month low of $14.71 and a 12-month high of $99.58. The company has a current ratio of 4.08, a quick ratio of 3.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $73.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $64.73.

Insider Activity at Rocket Lab

In other news, CEO Peter Beck sold 18,857 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.59, for a total value of $1,312,258.63. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 884,085 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,523,475.15. This represents a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Adam C. Spice sold 1,365,665 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.50, for a total value of $103,107,707.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 1,359,568 shares in the company, valued at approximately $102,647,384. The trade was a 50.11% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 1,807,614 shares of company stock worth $136,326,621 in the last three months. 11.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Rocket Lab 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.