Waverly Advisors LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Rocket Lab Corporation $RKLB

Key Points

• Institutional ownership increased sharply: Waverly Advisors raised its Rocket Lab stake by 804.2% to 260,284 shares worth about $26.5 million. Institutional investors now own 71.78% of the company.
• Rocket Lab remains unprofitable but exceeded revenue expectations: The company reported a quarterly loss of $0.08 per share versus the $0.06 expected loss, while revenue reached $234.07 million, above the $231.62 million consensus estimate.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive, but risks remain: Rocket Lab has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $108.83, although insiders have sold substantial shares recently and the company continues to post negative earnings.

Waverly Advisors LLC lifted its position in Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB - Free Report) by 804.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 260,284 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock after purchasing an additional 231,498 shares during the quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC's holdings in Rocket Lab were worth $26,458,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of Rocket Lab by 12,984.2% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 96,179,045 shares of the rocket manufacturer's stock valued at $9,776,600,000 after buying an additional 95,443,970 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Rocket Lab in the second quarter worth approximately $4,124,970,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Rocket Lab during the second quarter valued at approximately $245,764,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in Rocket Lab during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $341,036,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Rocket Lab during the second quarter worth approximately $437,280,000. 71.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Rocket Lab Stock Performance

Shares of RKLB stock opened at $65.87 on Wednesday. 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 Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $37.57 and a fifty-two week high of $151.00. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $73.84 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $84.76. The company has a market capitalization of $39.41 billion, a P/E ratio of -243.95 and a beta of 2.60.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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). Rocket Lab had a negative net margin of 21.51% and a negative return on equity of 6.48%. The company had revenue of $234.07 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $231.62 million. Analysts expect that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on RKLB shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Rocket Lab from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $132.00 target price on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. KGI Securities raised shares of Rocket Lab from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $107.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Rocket Lab from $73.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $108.83.

Insider Buying and Selling at Rocket Lab

In other Rocket Lab news, SVP Arjun Kampani sold 6,034 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.65, for a total value of $402,166.10. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 250,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,723,618.05. The trade was a 2.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Marvin Clevenger sold 15,051 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.63, for a total transaction of $1,048,001.13. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 458,924 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $31,954,878.12. This trade represents a 3.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 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. Insiders have sold a total of 3,624,371 shares of company stock worth $312,944,881 over the last ninety days. 8.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Rocket Lab

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rocket Lab released its IMM Apex space solar cell, which offers 31.5% beginning-of-life efficiency, 40% lower mass and eliminates the need for germanium substrates. The product is designed as a drop-in replacement for existing cells, potentially reducing customer retooling costs while addressing critical-mineral supply constraints. Rocket Lab says it can manufacture the cells in multi-100-kilowatt volumes, supporting growth in satellite demand. Rocket Lab IMM Apex solar-cell release
• Positive Sentiment: Rocket Lab benefited from a broader rally in space stocks after Pivotal Research began coverage of SpaceX with a $220 price target. The move increased investor attention on the sector and helped lift sentiment toward RKLB. Space-stock rally article
• Positive Sentiment: Several reports highlighted bullish analyst views, including price targets materially above recent trading levels. Investors are also watching Rocket Lab’s expanding backlog, military satellite-communications contracts and reported 61.99% year-over-year second-quarter revenue growth. Rocket Lab SDN contracts article
• Neutral Sentiment: Rocket Lab’s Neutron rocket timeline remains a key investor focus, with a potential launch pushed into 2027. The delay gives the company more development time but postpones a major catalyst and increases execution risk. Rocket Lab Neutron timeline article
• Negative Sentiment: Reported insider activity shows numerous open-market sales and no purchases during the past six months, including sales by Chief Executive Peter Beck. That pattern may weigh on sentiment, particularly while RKLB trades at a high valuation and remains unprofitable. Rocket Lab insider-activity article

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.

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.