Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Raised to “Buy” at Craig Hallum

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) was upgraded by investment analysts at Craig Hallum from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a $98.00 target price on the rocket manufacturer’s stock. Craig Hallum’s price target indicates a potential upside of 24.71% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Rocket Lab from $47.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Roth Mkm boosted their price objective on shares of Rocket Lab from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $85.00 price objective on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Rocket Lab in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $60.00 target price for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $86.92.

Rocket Lab Stock Down 7.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:RKLB opened at $78.58 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.74 billion, a P/E ratio of -212.37 and a beta of 2.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 3.61 and a current ratio of 4.08. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $72.88 and a 200-day moving average price of $68.50. Rocket Lab has a 52-week low of $20.23 and a 52-week high of $99.58.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.07) earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of ($0.07). The company had revenue of $200.35 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $189.65 million. Rocket Lab had a negative return on equity of 19.01% and a negative net margin of 32.94%.The firm’s revenue was up 63.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.12) earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Rocket Lab will post -0.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Rocket Lab news, SVP Arjun Kampani sold 28,761 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.59, for a total value of $2,001,477.99. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 421,699 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,346,033.41. This represents a 6.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Peter Beck sold 18,857 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 233,449 shares of company stock worth $16,487,233. Insiders own 8.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Rocket Lab

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sara Bay Financial boosted its stake in Rocket Lab by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Sara Bay Financial now owns 15,905 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $1,121,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC grew 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 valued at $102,000 after buying an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of 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 valued at $120,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Rocket Lab by 3.9% in the first quarter. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,320 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $213,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Traynor Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.78% of the company’s stock.

Rocket Lab News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat on revenue and guidance: Rocket Lab reported record Q1 revenue of ~$200.3M (up ~63% YoY), delivered GAAP EPS in line with estimates, and issued Q2 revenue guidance of $225M–$240M that topped analyst expectations — a core driver of the rally. Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock Soars 7.5% on Blowout Q1 Results and Defense Wins
• Positive Sentiment: Record backlog and largest launch contract: Management disclosed a record ~$2.2B backlog and announced the largest multi-launch deal in company history (multiple Neutron and Electron missions for a confidential customer), underpinning forward revenue visibility. Rocket Lab Expands Launch Backlog And Robotics Capabilities With Motiv Deal
• Positive Sentiment: Defense wins accelerate revenue and strategic positioning: Rocket Lab won a $30M Anduril HASTE hypersonic-launch contract and was selected with Raytheon for a U.S. Space Force interceptor demo — these defense awards add higher-margin, recurring program potential. Rocket Lab Awarded $30 Million Contract for HASTE Hypersonic Rocket Launches for Anduril
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic acquisition to expand capabilities: Rocket Lab agreed to acquire Motiv Space Systems (robotics/motion control used in Mars rovers), bringing in-space robotics and precision mechanisms that support satellite manufacturing and planetary/defense programs. Rocket Lab To Acquire Robotics Leader Motiv Space Systems
• Neutral Sentiment: Profitability still elusive: GAAP loss (-$0.07) was in line with estimates and the company remains unprofitable on a net-margin basis; analysts expect negative EPS for the fiscal year, keeping long-term profitability a watchpoint. Rocket Lab Reports Q1 Loss, Beats Revenue Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and R&D risks remain (Neutron timeline & costs): Neutron development, rising R&D and integration risks, and a premium market valuation relative to current earnings make the stock sensitive to execution misses; some traders were cautious ahead of results. Rocket Lab Stock Falls Ahead Of Q1 Results

Rocket Lab Company 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.