Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Rating Increased to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Sunday.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Rocket Lab from $60.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Zacks Research raised shares of Rocket Lab from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Needham & Company LLC upped their price objective on shares of Rocket Lab from $63.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Robert W. Baird raised shares of Rocket Lab to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Rocket Lab presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.92.

Rocket Lab Stock Performance

Shares of Rocket Lab stock opened at $72.32 on Friday. 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 stock has a market cap of $38.63 billion, a PE ratio of -190.32 and a beta of 2.16. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $73.03 and a 200-day simple moving average of $58.46.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 10th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.03) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $155.08 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $152.45 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.10) earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 48.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Rocket Lab will post -0.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Frank Klein sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.95, for a total transaction of $7,295,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 1,169,487 shares in the company, valued at $85,314,076.65. This represents a 7.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Edward H. Frank sold 2,500 shares of Rocket Lab stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.39, for a total value of $193,475.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 142,504 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,028,384.56. This represents a 1.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 4,306,150 shares of company stock valued at $271,865,732 in the last quarter. Insiders own 11.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rocket Lab

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of RKLB. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Rocket Lab by 13.4% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 47,420,192 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $3,308,033,000 after acquiring an additional 5,610,469 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co. boosted its holdings in Rocket Lab by 47.2% in the 4th quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 17,851,446 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,245,317,000 after purchasing an additional 5,725,536 shares during the period. Capital World Investors grew its position in Rocket Lab by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 14,462,103 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $692,879,000 after purchasing an additional 1,242,547 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Rocket Lab by 13.6% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 12,399,571 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $594,063,000 after purchasing an additional 1,487,237 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Rocket Lab by 67.0% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,242,304 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $223,287,000 after purchasing an additional 2,504,054 shares during the period. 71.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Rocket Lab

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

• Positive Sentiment: Long-term bull case: analysts and retail commentary highlight a large, growing “space economy” where Rocket Lab’s launch, spacecraft and manufacturing capabilities position it as a core beneficiary versus peers like AST SpaceMobile. Better Space Stock: Rocket Lab vs. AST SpaceMobile
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum explanation: analysis of January performance points to contract wins, improving revenue trends and positive sentiment that helped RKLB rally early in 2026. Why Rocket Lab Stock Skyrocketed To Start 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Options/volatility note: some analysts see a sentiment mismatch between bullish retail options activity and mixed fundamentals, making option strategies attractive to income/hedge investors rather than a clear directional signal. A Potential Sentiment Mismatch Makes Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock Options an Enticing Proposition
• Neutral Sentiment: Outlook variability: published “3 predictions for 2026” warns investors to expect volatility around launches, contract cadence and financial guidance — useful for positioning but non‑directional in the short term. 3 Predictions for Rocket Lab in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Congress funding cut: investors sold shares after reports that Congress declined funding for a planned 2031 Mars sample‑return mission tied to NASA’s Perseverance rover—this reduces a potential long‑term revenue path for small‑sat and mission services providers. Rocket Lab Stock Is Sliding Thursday: What’s Driving The Action?
• Negative Sentiment: Sector selloff / peer pressure: a broader space‑stock pullback after a rally tied to the SpaceX‑xAI story and a concurrent software sector rout pressured RKLB alongside peers, amplifying downside despite company specifics. SpaceX rivals AST SpaceMobile and Rocket Lab join space-stock selloff
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst caution and downgrade risk: earnings‑preview pieces warn that even modest beats may not restore confidence, and some analysts flagged valuation and execution risks ahead of Q4/Q1 updates. Rocket Lab Q4 Earnings Preview: Even A Beat Won’t Save The Stock (Downgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: Recent price volatility: coverage notes steep intraday/near‑term declines (single‑day drops ~10%) that reflect rapid sentiment shifts and increased trading volume—heightened risk for short‑term holders. Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB) Falls More Steeply Than Broader Market

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.