Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Stock Rating Upgraded by Barclays

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) was upgraded by Barclays to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Friday, Zacks reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on RKLB. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Friday, July 17th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on Rocket Lab from $115.00 to $110.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Wall Street Zen downgraded Rocket Lab from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. They set a “buy” rating and a $105.00 price target on the stock. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $104.71.

Rocket Lab Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ RKLB opened at $68.21 on Friday. Rocket Lab has a 12-month low of $37.57 and a 12-month high of $151.00. The stock has a market cap of $40.81 billion, a PE ratio of -252.62 and a beta of 2.93. The company has a current ratio of 5.48, a quick ratio of 4.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The company has a 50-day moving average of $70.52 and a 200 day moving average of $84.33.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.08) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.06) by ($0.02). Rocket Lab had a negative return on equity of 6.48% and a negative net margin of 21.51%. The business had revenue of $234.07 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $231.62 million. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Rocket Lab will post -0.20 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Rocket Lab

In other news, SVP Arjun Kampani sold 7,754 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.63, for a total value of $539,911.02. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 256,951 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,891,498.13. This represents a 2.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Adam C. Spice sold 140,157 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.82, for a total value of $9,925,918.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 1,155,967 shares in the company, valued at approximately $81,865,582.94. This trade represents a 10.81% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 400,749 shares of company stock valued at $26,964,474 in the last ninety days. 8.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in shares of Rocket Lab by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,049 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $208,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Rocket Lab by 7.1% during the first quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,869 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $120,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Rocket Lab by 3.9% in the first quarter. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,320 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $213,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Parvin Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Rocket Lab by 4.0% in the first quarter. Parvin Asset Management LLC now owns 3,665 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $235,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wedmont Private Capital increased its stake in Rocket Lab by 3.5% in the third quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 4,644 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $318,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.78% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Rocket Lab

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays initiated coverage of Rocket Lab with an “overweight” rating and an $85 price target, providing a near-term catalyst and signaling confidence in the aerospace and defense sector. Rocket Lab Stock Eyes Rebound After Bullish Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Investor attention remains focused on Rocket Lab’s Neutron medium-lift rocket. Supporters, including Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest, view the vehicle as potentially competitive with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and believe demand from satellite operators could create a significant launch opportunity if development stays on schedule. ARK and Neutron Launch Opportunity
• Positive Sentiment: Reports of a potential NASA bulk purchase, along with Rocket Lab’s Iridium-related business and broader launch activity, are reinforcing the long-term growth narrative. Rocket Lab NASA Bulk Purchase Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Rocket Lab’s shares have fallen sharply from their 52-week high, leaving valuation-sensitive investors focused on whether Neutron can convert its large addressable market into actual launches and revenue. Analysts cited in recent coverage see substantial upside, but the forecast depends heavily on successful execution. Rocket Lab Wall Street Upside Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: SpaceX’s agreement securing nationwide low-band spectrum has pressured satellite and space stocks, including Rocket Lab, by raising concerns about competitive dynamics in direct-to-device connectivity and control of critical communications infrastructure. SpaceX Spectrum Deal Pressures Space Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage has highlighted dilution, missed earnings expectations, continuing losses, and skepticism that Rocket Lab can compete with SpaceX. Jim Cramer also favored SpaceX over Rocket Lab, adding to the pressure on sentiment. Jim Cramer Compares Rocket Lab and SpaceX

Rocket Lab Company Profile

Rocket Lab USA, Inc is a space and launch company that provides launch services, spacecraft, satellite components and other space systems for commercial, civil and national-security customers. The company designs and manufactures many of its products in-house, supporting missions from initial spacecraft development through launch and on-orbit operations.

Rocket Lab’s primary launch vehicle is Electron, a small-lift rocket designed to place satellites into low Earth orbit. The company also operates the HASTE suborbital test platform for hypersonic and other advanced aerospace technologies and is developing Neutron, a larger reusable rocket intended to serve commercial and government missions.