Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock Jumps 5% — Is the Neutron Launch the Next Big Move?

TLDR

• Rocket Lab (RKLB) rose 5.1% on Monday, hitting a high of $138.38 on volume 36% above average.
• Q1 2026 revenue came in at $200.35M, up 63.4% year-over-year, beating analyst estimates of $189.65M.
• Deutsche Bank raised its price target to $120 from $73; Craig Hallum upgraded RKLB to Buy.
• Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Andres Sheppard flagged the upcoming Neutron rocket launch as a “major catalyst.”
• Consensus rating is Moderate Buy, with 11 Buys and 4 Holds; average price target sits at $100.17.

Rocket Lab (RKLB) stock climbed 5.1% on Monday, touching an intraday high of $138.38 before settling at $131.16. Trading volume hit 32.1 million, up 36% from the average session.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc., RKLB

The move followed a strong Q1 2026 earnings report released on May 7. Revenue came in at $200.35 million, well above the $189.65 million analyst estimate and up 63.4% from the same quarter last year.

EPS came in at ($0.07), in line with consensus estimates. Net margin remains negative at -26.87%, and return on equity stands at -11.72%.

The company ended Q1 with a backlog of $2.2 billion and said it has access to more than $2 billion in liquidity.

Rocket Lab called it another quarter of record financial performance and cited a record number of major contract wins and recently completed strategic acquisitions.

Analysts Raise Targets

Deutsche Bank raised its price target on RKLB to $120 from $73 on May 12, maintaining a Buy rating. The bank said demand trends across Rocket Lab’s business continue to strengthen.

Clear Street also lifted its target, moving from $88 to $98 while keeping a Buy rating. The firm pointed to record Q1 revenue that beat expectations by 5%, with strength in both launch services and space systems.

Craig Hallum upgraded the stock from Hold to Buy on May 8, setting a $98 price target. Citigroup restated its Outperform rating the same day.

Cantor Fitzgerald’s Andres Sheppard, a 5-star analyst, kept his Overweight rating and $96 price target following the Q1 results. He said a “major catalyst” could still be ahead.

Neutron Rocket in Focus

Sheppard flagged Rocket Lab’s upcoming Neutron rocket as a key growth driver. Management confirmed the rocket remains on track for its first launch later this year.

Rocket Lab has completed 87 successful launches to date, which Sheppard said gives the company an edge over newer competitors still proving out their systems.

Cantor Fitzgerald expects Rocket Lab to complete 27 launches in fiscal 2026 across its Electron and Haste rockets.

The company operates launch sites in both New Zealand and the United States. Its three rocket programs — Electron, Haste, and Neutron — span different segments of the space market.

Institutional investors hold 71.78% of RKLB stock. Vanguard increased its stake by 13.4% in Q4, while Baillie Gifford lifted its position by 47.2%.

Insiders have sold 333,449 shares worth around $28.3 million over the last 90 days.

Wall Street’s consensus sits at Moderate Buy, based on 11 Buys, 4 Holds, and 0 Sells over the past three months. The average price target of $100.17 implies downside from current levels given the recent rally.

The stock has a 50-day moving average of $78.81 and a 200-day moving average of $70.85, both well below where RKLB is currently trading.

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