75,000 Shares in Rocket Lab Corporation $RKLB Bought by Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co

Key Points

• Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co opened a new position in Rocket Lab, buying 75,000 shares worth about $5.23 million in the fourth quarter.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with hedge funds and other large investors holding 71.78% of Rocket Lab’s stock despite recent insider selling.
• Analysts are broadly constructive on the stock: Rocket Lab has a Moderate Buy consensus rating, while recent reports highlighted rising defense-related business and revenue growth, even as insiders sold shares under planned transactions.

Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co purchased a new position in shares of Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 75,000 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock, valued at approximately $5,232,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of RKLB. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Rocket Lab by 114.0% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 174,308 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock worth $3,117,000 after purchasing an additional 92,849 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Rocket Lab by 1,812.1% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 36,807 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock worth $658,000 after purchasing an additional 34,882 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its position in Rocket Lab by 53.8% during the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 15,745 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock worth $282,000 after acquiring an additional 5,507 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in Rocket Lab by 13.3% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 773,548 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock worth $13,831,000 after acquiring an additional 90,758 shares during the period. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth lifted its position in Rocket Lab by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 67,584 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock worth $1,206,000 after acquiring an additional 681 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.78% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Rocket Lab news, Director Alexander R. Slusky sold 100,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.08, for a total value of $11,808,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 434,675 shares of the company's stock, valued at $51,326,424. This represents a 18.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Arjun Kampani sold 70,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.13, for a total transaction of $10,159,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 376,509 shares in the company, valued at $54,642,751.17. This trade represents a 15.68% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 554,800 shares of company stock valued at $60,032,445. 8.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Roth Mkm increased their price objective on Rocket Lab from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Citigroup restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research note on Friday, May 8th. BTIG Research restated a "hold" rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on Rocket Lab from $95.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Wednesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $97.19.

Key Headlines Impacting Rocket Lab

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rocket Lab continues to benefit from optimism around its defense business, including progress on its SDA missile-defense constellation work and a reported milestone that helped push total defense awards above $1.3 billion. Rocket Lab Hits Key SDA Milestone, Expands Defense Footprint
• Positive Sentiment: The stock is also being lifted by broader enthusiasm for the space sector, with traders speculating that a potential SpaceX IPO could re-rate public space names and keep capital flowing into Rocket Lab. Is Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB) Among the Best Space Stocks to Buy According to Reddit and Social Media?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlighted Rocket Lab’s improving revenue momentum and expanding role as a space-defense contractor, reinforcing the case for continued growth. Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock Soars as Defense Contracts Surpass $1.3 Billion Milestone
• Neutral Sentiment: Several bullish articles framed Rocket Lab as a key “SpaceX alternative,” but much of that move appears driven by valuation expansion and theme trading rather than a single new operating catalyst. Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock Price Forecast — Can the 115% Rally Continue?
• Negative Sentiment: Rocket Lab also faced pressure from a broader selloff in space stocks after Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded during a hotfire test, raising risk-off sentiment across the group. Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Erupts in Flames During Hotfire Test at Cape Canaveral
• Negative Sentiment: Sentiment was further weighed by multiple insider sales disclosed this week, including transactions by senior executives, even though the sales were tied to 10b5-1 plans and tax withholding on equity awards. Arjun Kampani Insider Trading Activity

Rocket Lab Stock Down 3.1%

Shares of NASDAQ RKLB opened at $143.48 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 4.02, a current ratio of 4.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. Rocket Lab Corporation has a 52 week low of $25.24 and a 52 week high of $151.00. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $92.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $76.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $83.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -448.38 and a beta of 2.30.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.07) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of ($0.07). The business had revenue of $200.35 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $189.65 million. Rocket Lab had a negative return on equity of 11.72% and a negative net margin of 26.87%.The business's revenue was up 63.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted ($0.12) EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RKLB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.