Rocket Lab Corporation $RKLB Shares Acquired by Versant Capital Management Inc

Key Points

• Versant Capital Management increased its Rocket Lab position by 366.8% in the third quarter, ending with 9,564 shares valued at approximately $666,000. Institutional investors collectively own 71.78% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $107.20; ratings include 18 Buy or Strong Buy recommendations.
• Rocket Lab exceeded revenue estimates but missed quarterly EPS expectations, remains unprofitable, and faces risks from insider selling and competition. Shares opened at $73.92, well below their 52-week high of $151.00.

Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB - Free Report) by 366.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 9,564 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock after acquiring an additional 7,515 shares during the quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc's holdings in Rocket Lab were worth $666,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Rocket Lab during the second quarter valued at approximately $4,124,970,000. Katamaran Capital LLP raised its stake in shares of Rocket Lab by 86.2% in the 1st 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 period. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP raised its stake in shares of Rocket Lab by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP now owns 2,592,443 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock valued at $180,849,000 after acquiring an additional 154,623 shares during the period. Y.D. More Investments Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Rocket Lab during the 1st quarter valued at $642,000. Finally, Swiss National Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Rocket Lab by 17.8% during the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 1,410,930 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock valued at $90,610,000 after acquiring an additional 212,700 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.78% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on RKLB. Citizens Jmp reiterated a "market outperform" rating and issued a $130.00 price target on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Bank of America lowered their target price on Rocket Lab from $115.00 to $110.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Berenberg Bank started coverage on Rocket Lab in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. They set a "buy" rating and a $83.00 target price on the stock. Finally, KGI Securities raised Rocket Lab from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $107.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $107.20.

Key Rocket Lab News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Record Synspective contract: Rocket Lab signed a multi-year agreement for 20 Electron launches between 2028 and 2031. The deal lifts Synspective’s total planned missions to 47 and pushes Rocket Lab’s launch backlog above 100 missions, strengthening visibility for future launch revenue. Rocket Lab’s 20-Launch Synspective Deal Pushes Backlog Above 100 Missions
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street support: Citi initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $105 price target, calling RKLB a potential “core holding for space bulls.” Other analysts cited in recent coverage see substantial upside, supporting the stock’s rebound. Rocket Lab Stock Rises on Record Electron Launch Deal and Citi Buy Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying: Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest ETFs reportedly purchased more than $41 million of Rocket Lab shares across ARKK, ARKQ and ARKX. The buying reflects confidence in Electron, the company’s space-systems business and its planned Neutron rocket. Cathie Wood Is Buying Rocket Lab Again
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive backdrop: SpaceX’s successful Starship orbital test highlights both the opportunity and the threat for Rocket Lab. Larger, potentially lower-cost rockets could pressure launch economics, increasing the importance of Rocket Lab’s differentiated, dedicated-launch strategy and Neutron’s development.
• Negative Sentiment: Risks remain: The Synspective contract’s financial terms were not disclosed, Rocket Lab remains unprofitable, and its latest reported quarter missed the consensus EPS estimate despite exceeding revenue expectations. Extensive insider selling—including sales by CEO Peter Beck—may also weigh on sentiment and raises valuation concerns after the recent rally.

Rocket Lab Price Performance

Shares of RKLB opened at $73.92 on Friday. Rocket Lab Corporation has a 52 week low of $37.57 and a 52 week 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 firm has a market cap of $44.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -273.77 and a beta of 2.93. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $69.77 and a 200-day moving average of $84.34.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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). The firm had revenue of $234.07 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $231.62 million. Rocket Lab had a negative net margin of 21.51% and a negative return on equity of 6.48%. As a group, analysts forecast that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.2 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Rocket Lab news, CFO Adam C. Spice sold 140,157 shares of Rocket Lab stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.82, for a total value of $9,925,918.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 1,155,967 shares in the company, valued at $81,865,582.94. The trade was a 10.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Agostino Ricupati sold 669 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.63, for a total value of $46,582.47. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 26,863 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,870,470.69. This trade represents a 2.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 3,676,528 shares of company stock valued at $313,368,560 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 8.40% of the company's stock.

About Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab USA, Inc is a space and launch company that provides launch services, spacecraft, satellite components and other space systems for commercial, civil and national-security customers. The company designs and manufactures many of its products in-house, supporting missions from initial spacecraft development through launch and on-orbit operations.

Rocket Lab's primary launch vehicle is Electron, a small-lift rocket designed to place satellites into low Earth orbit. The company also operates the HASTE suborbital test platform for hypersonic and other advanced aerospace technologies and is developing Neutron, a larger reusable rocket intended to serve commercial and government missions.

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