KBC Group NV Sells 124,385 Shares of Rocket Lab Corporation $RKLB

Key Points

• KBC Group NV cut its Rocket Lab position by 74.1% in the first quarter, selling 124,385 shares and ending with 43,472 shares worth about $2.79 million.
• Institutional ownership remains high at 71.78%, even as several large holders and insiders have been active sellers; CEO Peter Beck and Director Alexander R. Slusky both recently reduced their stakes.
• Rocket Lab’s stock has been volatile: it opened at $63.91, well below its 52-week high of $151.00, while analysts remain generally constructive with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $110.18.

KBC Group NV lessened its stake in shares of Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB - Free Report) by 74.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 43,472 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock after selling 124,385 shares during the period. KBC Group NV's holdings in Rocket Lab were worth $2,792,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of RKLB. Swedbank AB increased its position in shares of Rocket Lab by 8.2% during the fourth quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 509,250 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock worth $35,525,000 after purchasing an additional 38,770 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Rocket Lab by 13.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 47,420,192 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock valued at $3,308,033,000 after purchasing an additional 5,610,469 shares during the last quarter. Katamaran Capital LLP lifted its holdings in Rocket Lab by 86.2% in the first quarter. Katamaran Capital LLP now owns 19,808 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock valued at $1,272,000 after acquiring an additional 9,172 shares during the last quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP grew its holdings in shares of Rocket Lab by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP now owns 2,592,443 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock worth $180,849,000 after purchasing an additional 154,623 shares during the period. Finally, Baillie Gifford & Co. boosted its stake in Rocket Lab by 47.2% during the fourth quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 17,851,446 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock worth $1,245,317,000 after buying an additional 5,725,536 shares during the period. 71.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Alexander R. Slusky sold 40,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.60, for a total transaction of $4,944,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 334,675 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,365,830. The trade was a 10.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Peter Beck sold 990,960 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.86, for a total value of $82,110,945.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,724,221 shares in the company, valued at $142,868,952.06. This trade represents a 36.50% 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. In the last three months, insiders sold 3,849,294 shares of company stock worth $362,816,208. 8.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

RKLB has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on Rocket Lab in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $83.00 target price on the stock. Roth Capital boosted their price objective on Rocket Lab from $100.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Rocket Lab in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $60.00 target price on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus set a $132.00 target price on Rocket Lab in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, New Street Research initiated coverage on Rocket Lab in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $150.00 target price for the company. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $110.18.

Rocket Lab Stock Performance

Shares of Rocket Lab stock opened at $63.91 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $102.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $87.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 4.02 and a current ratio of 4.47. Rocket Lab Corporation has a one year low of $37.57 and a one year high of $151.00. The company has a market cap of $36.99 billion, a PE ratio of -199.72 and a beta of 2.54.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB - Get Free Report) last issued its 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). Rocket Lab had a negative net margin of 26.87% and a negative return on equity of 11.72%. The firm had revenue of $200.35 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $189.65 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($0.12) earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 63.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Rocket Lab

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rocket Lab continues to win new business, including NASA science launch contracts and a broader defense backlog that supports its long-term growth story. 2 Missions, 3 Launches, and Up to $300 Million for Rocket Lab
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators argue the recent selloff may be overdone, pointing to Rocket Lab’s growing defense business, launch momentum, and Neutron development as reasons to buy the dip. A $266 Million Reason to Buy Rocket Lab Stock Here
• Neutral Sentiment: Rocket Lab announced it will report second-quarter 2026 results on August 10, which could become the next major catalyst for the stock. Rocket Lab Announces Date of Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Rocket Lab’s short-interest update was essentially a data anomaly, showing zero short shares and offering little meaningful new information for investors.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares are also being dragged down by a broader space-stock selloff tied to weakness in SpaceX-related trading and investor anxiety ahead of a Starship test flight. SpaceX Drops 5%, Rocket Lab Falls 7%, AST SpaceMobile Slides 4% as Jittery Market Awaits Tonight’s Crucial Test Flight
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are still debating whether Rocket Lab is too expensive even after its sharp pullback, suggesting valuation remains a headwind. Rocket Lab Has Corrected Nearly 50%. Is It Still Too Expensive?

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.

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