Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Takes Position in Rocket Lab Corporation $RKLB

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new position in Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 83,243 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $8,462,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Rocket Lab in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new position in Rocket Lab during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Rocket Lab by 109.5% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 796 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 416 shares during the period. Gordian Capital Singapore Pte Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Rocket Lab during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Reflection Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Rocket Lab in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. 71.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Rocket Lab

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.

Rocket Lab Price Performance

Shares of RKLB opened at $72.57 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $81.86 and a 200 day simple moving average of $85.29. 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. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.42 billion, a PE ratio of -268.77 and a beta of 2.60.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.08) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $234.07 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $231.62 million. Rocket Lab had a negative return on equity of 6.48% and a negative net margin of 21.51%. Sell-side analysts predict that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

RKLB has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus set a $132.00 price target on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Craig Hallum boosted their price target on shares of Rocket Lab from $98.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $110.65.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Marvin Bradford Clevenger sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $146.67, for a total transaction of $513,345.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 473,975 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,517,913.25. This represents a 0.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Alexander R. Slusky sold 40,000 shares of Rocket Lab stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.60, for a total value of $4,944,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 334,675 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,365,830. This represents a 10.68% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 3,749,294 shares of company stock valued at $351,008,208. Corporate insiders own 8.40% of the company’s stock.

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.