Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Makes New $7.35 Million Investment in Rocket Lab Corporation $RKLB

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 74,994 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock, valued at approximately $7,350,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Rocket Lab in the second quarter worth $4,588,000. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Rocket Lab in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,365,000. Caitlin John LLC bought a new stake in Rocket Lab in the 2nd quarter valued at $156,000. Equitable Holdings Inc. acquired a new stake in Rocket Lab in the 2nd quarter worth $1,599,000. Finally, Centaurus Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Rocket Lab in the 2nd quarter worth $746,000. 71.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus set a $132.00 price objective on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Rocket Lab from $73.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, KGI Securities upgraded Rocket Lab from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $107.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $110.65.

Rocket Lab Trading Down 4.6%

Shares of RKLB stock opened at $64.39 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $77.80 and a 200-day moving average of $84.98. The stock has a market cap of $38.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -238.47 and a beta of 2.60. Rocket Lab Corporation has a 52-week low of $37.57 and a 52-week high of $151.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 4.98 and a current ratio of 5.48.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.08) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.06) by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $234.07 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $231.62 million. Rocket Lab had a negative net margin of 21.51% and a negative return on equity of 6.48%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Rocket Lab News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Defense and space-systems demand remain important growth drivers. Rocket Lab is benefiting from its selection by Viasat to build spacecraft buses for the U.S. Space Force’s Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global program. Its HASTE hypersonic test platform is also expanding the company’s exposure to Pentagon missions, supporting the view that Rocket Lab is more than an Electron launch provider. Rocket Lab HASTE defense coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Electron execution and analyst revisions offer potential support. Rocket Lab has reached 93 Electron launches, while some analysts have raised earnings estimates. A hammer chart pattern has also prompted bottom-fishing interest after the decline. Rocket Lab bottom-fisher coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly bullish, but the valuation requires strong execution. Rocket Lab carries a reported “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $110.65, but the company remains unprofitable and trades at a high valuation relative to current earnings. Its elevated beta also leaves the stock vulnerable to sharp swings.
• Negative Sentiment: Neutron timing is the largest operational risk. Reports that the medium-lift Neutron rocket’s first launch could slip into 2027 have weakened a key investment thesis. The delay would postpone a major revenue and valuation catalyst while extending development costs. Rocket Lab Neutron timeline coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds to near-term pressure. Five executives sold approximately $5.5 million of shares, including sizable sales by the CFO and COO. The transactions were made under Rule 10b5-1 plans to cover tax withholding on vested restricted stock units, reducing their significance, though no comparable insider buying was reported. Rocket Lab executive sale coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability remains a concern. Rocket Lab’s latest quarterly revenue exceeded expectations, but its $0.08-per-share loss was wider than forecast. Continued annual losses make the stock particularly sensitive to acquisition uncertainty, Neutron delays, and any slowdown in launch or defense growth.

Insider Buying and Selling at Rocket Lab

In other Rocket Lab news, SVP Arjun Kampani sold 88,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.98, for a total value of $9,502,240.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 264,705 shares in the company, valued at $28,582,845.90. This represents a 24.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Alexander R. Slusky sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.60, for a total value of $4,944,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 334,675 shares of the company's stock, valued at $41,365,830. This represents a 10.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 3,524,214 shares of company stock worth $309,110,848 over the last three months. 8.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.

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.

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