Rakuten Securities Inc. Takes Position in Rocket Lab Corporation $RKLB

Rakuten Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 9,028 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock, valued at approximately $918,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Rocket Lab during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $4,124,970,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in Rocket Lab in the second quarter worth approximately $245,764,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Rocket Lab by 13.4% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 47,420,192 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock worth $3,308,033,000 after acquiring an additional 5,610,469 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Rocket Lab during the fourth quarter worth $341,036,000. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its position in Rocket Lab by 818.8% in the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,190,132 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock valued at $104,929,000 after purchasing an additional 1,951,755 shares during the period. 71.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Rocket Lab News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rocket Lab successfully completed its 93rd Electron mission, deploying an Earth-imaging satellite for Japan’s iQPS. The launch was the company’s 14th of 2026 and extended a 100% success streak for iQPS missions. Nine additional dedicated iQPS launches are booked through 2030, supporting future revenue visibility. Rocket Lab launches 93rd Electron mission
• Positive Sentiment: Recent U.S. Space Force and defense awards are strengthening Rocket Lab’s position as a national-security contractor. Highlights include participation in the NITE-STAR program, with a potential ceiling of $981 million, a protected military communications satellite-bus role, the $397 million Flatellite contract, and a record $266 million missile-defense launch award. The company’s backlog reportedly exceeds $2.3 billion.
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Peter Beck said the proposed $8 billion Iridium acquisition is intended to expand Rocket Lab’s satellite-communications capabilities without directly competing with SpaceX’s Starlink. Management is positioning the deal as a differentiated communications offering, although investors will weigh its strategic benefits against transaction and execution risks. Rocket Lab CEO discusses Iridium deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly optimistic, with a reported median price target of $120 and a separate consensus average of $110.65. However, these targets depend heavily on continued contract growth and successful Neutron development.
• Negative Sentiment: Rocket Lab remains unprofitable and recently missed quarterly EPS expectations despite beating revenue estimates. Heavy spending on Neutron has pressured margins, while a first-stage tank issue has pushed Neutron’s debut to the fourth quarter, delaying a major potential growth catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains demanding after the sell-off, with the company trading at a very high sales multiple and carrying a negative earnings profile. In addition, reports show extensive insider selling—including sales by CEO Peter Beck—without reported insider purchases, which may weigh on sentiment.
• Negative Sentiment: Higher oil prices and rising long-term interest rates have raised concerns about an economic slowdown and weaker industrial orders across aerospace-related stocks. The post-IPO volatility in SpaceX has also continued to pressure the broader space sector.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently commented on RKLB. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on Rocket Lab from $96.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Citigroup reissued a "market outperform" rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Needham & Company LLC restated a "buy" rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $132.00 target price on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Rocket Lab from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Three equities research 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 given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $110.65.

Rocket Lab Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ RKLB opened at $72.57 on Friday. Rocket Lab Corporation has a twelve month low of $37.57 and a twelve month high of $151.00. The company has a current ratio of 5.48, a quick ratio of 4.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $81.86 and a 200-day simple moving average of $85.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.42 billion, a PE ratio of -268.77 and a beta of 2.60.

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

Insider Activity at Rocket Lab

In other news, SVP Arjun Kampani sold 88,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.98, for a total transaction of $9,502,240.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 264,705 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $28,582,845.90. This represents a 24.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Alexander R. Slusky sold 40,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 334,675 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $41,365,830. The trade was a 10.68% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 3,749,294 shares of company stock valued at $351,008,208. 8.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Rocket Lab 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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