On Wednesday, Rocket Lab Corp. (NASDAQ:RKLB) said it has secured three additional Electron launches from Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space (iQPS), extending a multi-year partnership and reinforcing its role as the company's primary launch provider.
The launches are scheduled from 2028 in New Zealand, bringing iQPS' total bookings with Rocket Lab to 15 missions. Seven launches completed since 2023 have achieved a 100% success rate.
Rocket Lab Launched 85th mission
Last month, Rocket Lab Corporation completed its 85th mission. It also marked its first dedicated launch for the European Space Agency. The mission lifted off on March 28 from New Zealand.
The Electron rocket deployed two "Celeste" satellites into a 510 km low Earth orbit. The mission will test how LEO satellites can support Europe's Galileo navigation system. It will also explore use cases such as autonomous vehicles and emergency services.
Technical Analysis
At $67.37, the stock is trading 0.5% below its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) and 0.8% below its 100-day SMA, suggesting a slight short-term weakness. However, it remains 14.7% above its 200-day SMA, indicating a strong long-term trend.
The relative strength index (RSI) currently sits at 47.36, which suggests a neutral momentum, indicating that the stock is neither overbought nor oversold. The moving average convergence divergence (MACD) shows a bullish signal as the MACD line is above the signal line, suggesting potential upward momentum.
- Key Resistance: $78.50 — A level where selling pressure may increase.
- Key Support: $64.00 — A level where buying interest may emerge.
Over the past 12 months, Rocket Lab has seen a remarkable return of 239.99%, reflecting strong investor interest and performance. Currently, the stock is positioned in the middle of its 52-week range, which suggests it has room to move in either direction based on upcoming catalysts.
Earnings & Analyst Outlook
Rocket Lab is slated to provide its next financial update on May 7, 2026 (estimated).
- EPS Estimate: Loss of 7 cents (Up from Loss of 12 cents)
- Revenue Estimate: $191.06 million (Up from $122.57 million)
Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Buy Rating with an average price target of $68.81. Recent analyst moves include:
- Citizens: Upgraded to Market Outperform (Target $85.00) (April 7)
- Wells Fargo: Initiated with Equal-Weight (Target $60.00) (April 1)
- Clear Street: Initiated with Buy (Target $88.00) (March 19)
Top ETF Exposure
- SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (NYSE:XAR): 5.66% Weight
- ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF (BATS:ARKQ): 4.97% Weight
- ARK Space & Defense Innovation ETF (NASDAQ:ARKX): 7.81% Weight
Significance: Because RKLB carries such a heavy weight in these funds, any significant inflows or outflows for these ETFs will likely force automatic buying or selling of the stock.
RKLB Price Action: Rocket Lab shares were up 1.29% at $67.60 during premarket trading on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Photo via Shutterstock
Login to comment