Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Stock Price Target Cut by Needham & Company LLC

Key Points

• Needham cut Rocket Lab’s price target from $120 to $100 but maintained a Buy rating; its new target implies 59.46% upside from the current share price.
• Analyst views remain broadly positive: MarketBeat’s consensus is “Moderate Buy,” with a $99.10 average target, though other firms have issued lower targets or neutral ratings.
• Rocket Lab’s quarterly revenue beat estimates and its backlog reached a record $3.57 billion, but the company missed EPS expectations and Neutron’s first launch is now expected no earlier than 2027.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB - Get Free Report) had its price target cut by analysts at Needham & Company LLC from $120.00 to $100.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the rocket manufacturer's stock. Needham & Company LLC's price objective suggests a potential upside of 59.46% from the company's current price.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on RKLB. Piper Sandler cut their target price on shares of Rocket Lab from $83.00 to $58.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. BTIG Research reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Rocket Lab from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. Finally, Roth Capital reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $99.10.

Rocket Lab Stock Up 6.5%

Shares of RKLB opened at $62.71 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -174.19 and a beta of 3.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 4.98 and a current ratio of 5.48. The business's fifty day moving average price is $62.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $78.68. Rocket Lab has a 52 week low of $37.57 and a 52 week high of $151.00.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, November 9th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.12) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.07) by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $267.83 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $257.21 million. Rocket Lab had a negative net margin of 25.73% and a negative return on equity of 7.71%. On average, analysts predict that Rocket Lab will post -0.20 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Rocket Lab

In other Rocket Lab news, insider Frank Klein sold 35,558 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.61, for a total value of $2,368,518.38. Following the transaction, the insider owned 925,737 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $61,663,341.57. This represents a 3.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Nina Armagno sold 10,926 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.78, for a total value of $576,674.28. Following the transaction, the director owned 100,496 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,304,178.88. This trade represents a 9.81% 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 551,832 shares of company stock valued at $34,940,037 over the last quarter. 8.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Rocket Lab

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Highland Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Rocket Lab during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Rocket Lab in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. NBH Bank bought a new stake in Rocket Lab in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Cherry Tree Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Rocket Lab in the second quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Rocket Lab by 3,590.0% in the third quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC now owns 369 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 359 shares during the period. 71.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Rocket Lab

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 revenue rose 73% year over year to $267.8 million, beating estimates. Backlog grew 52% sequentially to a record $3.57 billion, while Q4 revenue guidance of $270 million to $290 million topped consensus. Article: Rocket Lab: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Rocket Lab secured more than $515 million in Neutron launch contracts during the quarter, bringing the rocket’s backlog to 16 missions and raising its base launch price to $70 million. This signals customer demand despite the development delay. Article: Rocket Lab Lands Over $515M in Neutron Launch Deals
• Positive Sentiment: Rocket Lab-built ESCAPADE satellites completed their trans-Mars injection burns, providing a successful operational milestone. Article: ESCAPADE Satellites Complete Trans-Mars Injection Burns
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG maintained a Hold rating, citing the balance between strong growth prospects and concerns over Neutron timing and Rocket Lab’s valuation. Article: Rocket Lab Hold Maintained
• Negative Sentiment: The quarter’s GAAP loss of $0.12 per share was wider than the roughly $0.07 loss analysts expected. Investors focused on the earnings miss and ongoing losses despite the revenue beat and stronger outlook. Article: Rocket Lab Shares Dip After Earnings Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Neutron’s first launch is now expected no earlier than 2027, delaying a key potential growth driver. Analysts also trimmed some price targets after the results, adding pressure alongside concerns about development costs and profitability. Article: Analysts Revise Forecasts Following Q3 Results

About Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab is a space company that provides launch services and spacecraft and satellite systems for commercial, civil, and national security customers. Founded in 2006 by Peter Beck, the company operates internationally, with headquarters in Long Beach, California, and launch operations in New Zealand and the United States. Its launch business centers on Electron, a small orbital rocket designed to carry satellites to space, and HASTE, a suborbital vehicle used for hypersonic test missions. Rocket Lab is also developing Neutron, a larger launch vehicle.

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