Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Shares Up 9% – Should You Buy?

Shares of Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) traded up 9% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $72.66 and last traded at $72.32. 19,852,808 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 22% from the average session volume of 25,476,072 shares. The stock had previously closed at $66.32.

Trending Headlines about Rocket Lab

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

• Positive Sentiment: Long-term bull case: analysts and retail commentary highlight a large, growing “space economy” where Rocket Lab’s launch, spacecraft and manufacturing capabilities position it as a core beneficiary versus peers like AST SpaceMobile. Better Space Stock: Rocket Lab vs. AST SpaceMobile
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum explanation: analysis of January performance points to contract wins, improving revenue trends and positive sentiment that helped RKLB rally early in 2026. Why Rocket Lab Stock Skyrocketed To Start 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Options/volatility note: some analysts see a sentiment mismatch between bullish retail options activity and mixed fundamentals, making option strategies attractive to income/hedge investors rather than a clear directional signal. A Potential Sentiment Mismatch Makes Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock Options an Enticing Proposition
• Neutral Sentiment: Outlook variability: published “3 predictions for 2026” warns investors to expect volatility around launches, contract cadence and financial guidance — useful for positioning but non‑directional in the short term. 3 Predictions for Rocket Lab in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Congress funding cut: investors sold shares after reports that Congress declined funding for a planned 2031 Mars sample‑return mission tied to NASA’s Perseverance rover—this reduces a potential long‑term revenue path for small‑sat and mission services providers. Rocket Lab Stock Is Sliding Thursday: What’s Driving The Action?
• Negative Sentiment: Sector selloff / peer pressure: a broader space‑stock pullback after a rally tied to the SpaceX‑xAI story and a concurrent software sector rout pressured RKLB alongside peers, amplifying downside despite company specifics. SpaceX rivals AST SpaceMobile and Rocket Lab join space-stock selloff
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst caution and downgrade risk: earnings‑preview pieces warn that even modest beats may not restore confidence, and some analysts flagged valuation and execution risks ahead of Q4/Q1 updates. Rocket Lab Q4 Earnings Preview: Even A Beat Won’t Save The Stock (Downgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: Recent price volatility: coverage notes steep intraday/near‑term declines (single‑day drops ~10%) that reflect rapid sentiment shifts and increased trading volume—heightened risk for short‑term holders. Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB) Falls More Steeply Than Broader Market

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on RKLB shares. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Rocket Lab from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $67.00 to $105.00 in a report on Friday, January 16th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Rocket Lab from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Zacks Research upgraded Rocket Lab from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. KeyCorp cut Rocket Lab from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Rocket Lab from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.92.

Rocket Lab Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $38.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -190.32 and a beta of 2.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 3.18 and a quick ratio of 2.83. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $72.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $58.20.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 10th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.03) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.05) by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $155.08 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $152.45 million. Rocket Lab had a negative net margin of 35.64% and a negative return on equity of 27.26%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 48.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted ($0.10) earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Nina Armagno sold 27,314 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.21, for a total value of $1,863,087.94. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 108,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,430,797.40. This represents a 20.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Adam C. Spice sold 1,365,665 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.50, for a total value of $103,107,707.50. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 1,359,568 shares in the company, valued at approximately $102,647,384. The trade was a 50.11% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,306,150 shares of company stock valued at $271,865,732. 11.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rocket Lab

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Arizona State Retirement System raised its holdings in Rocket Lab by 13.6% in the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 127,794 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $6,123,000 after purchasing an additional 15,307 shares during the period. Cadent Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Rocket Lab in the third quarter valued at approximately $668,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Rocket Lab by 44.7% during the 2nd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 992,777 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $35,512,000 after buying an additional 306,713 shares during the period. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Rocket Lab during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,009,000. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Rocket Lab during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $164,751,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.78% of the company’s stock.

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.