Rocket Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:RCKT) Trading 14.3% Higher on Strong Earnings

Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:RCKT)’s share price rose 14.3% during trading on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $5.34 and last traded at $5.18. Approximately 3,287,984 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 47% from the average daily volume of 2,238,679 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.53.

The biotechnology company reported ($0.38) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.42) by $0.04. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($0.62) EPS.

Rocket Pharmaceuticals News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lifesci Capital upgraded RCKT to a “Strong-Buy” and issued a less-negative FY2026 EPS forecast of ($1.81) vs. the street consensus of ($2.83) — a sign analysts see smaller losses ahead and potential upside if pipeline progress continues. Lifesci upgrade & estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target from $8 to $10 and reiterated an “Overweight” rating, implying substantial upside vs. the current share price and adding buying pressure from growth-focused investors. Cantor Fitzgerald raises PT to $10
• Positive Sentiment: Rocket reported a narrower-than-expected Q4 loss and provided pipeline updates — results that reduce near-term execution risk and keep focus on clinical catalysts that could drive future value. Q4 results & pipeline update
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street Zen moved its rating to “Hold,” signaling some caution remains among analysts despite recent positive notes. Wall Street Zen rating change
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus analyst coverage still averages out to a “Hold,” so while a subset of firms are bullish, broad-market conviction is not unanimous. Analyst consensus summary

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on RCKT. TD Cowen raised shares of Rocket Pharmaceuticals to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley set a $5.00 price objective on shares of Rocket Pharmaceuticals in a report on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Rocket Pharmaceuticals from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on Rocket Pharmaceuticals from $8.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Rocket Pharmaceuticals from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $14.50.

Insider Activity

In other news, General Counsel Martin Wilson sold 12,253 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.31, for a total transaction of $40,557.43. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 683,376 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,261,974.56. This trade represents a 1.76% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Gaurav Shah sold 12,279 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.31, for a total transaction of $40,643.49. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,052,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,482,268.95. This represents a 1.15% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 29,415 shares of company stock worth $97,398 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 24.76% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Rocket Pharmaceuticals

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in RCKT. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Rocket Pharmaceuticals by 0.5% in the third quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 627,567 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $2,046,000 after purchasing an additional 3,264 shares during the period. Barclays PLC increased its stake in Rocket Pharmaceuticals by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 153,049 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $537,000 after buying an additional 3,656 shares during the period. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Rocket Pharmaceuticals by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 309,247 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $1,085,000 after buying an additional 3,809 shares during the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co lifted its stake in shares of Rocket Pharmaceuticals by 94.4% in the 2nd quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 12,202 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 5,926 shares during the period. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Rocket Pharmaceuticals by 7.3% in the second quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 96,982 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $238,000 after acquiring an additional 6,580 shares in the last quarter. 98.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Rocket Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 10.6%

The firm has a market capitalization of $542.18 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.49 and a beta of 0.48. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $3.62 and its 200-day moving average price is $3.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 7.30 and a quick ratio of 7.30.

About Rocket Pharmaceuticals

Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing gene therapies for rare, inherited pediatric diseases. The company employs a proprietary adeno-associated virus (AAV) and lentiviral vector platform to deliver functional copies of genes in patients with genetic deficiencies. Its programs target a spectrum of disorders, including Fanconi anemia, leukocyte adhesion deficiency type I and Danon disease, with the goal of delivering one-time treatments that address the underlying causes of disease rather than merely managing symptoms.

The company’s pipeline comprises multiple product candidates in various stages of development.