Equitable Holdings Inc. Takes $1.60 Million Position in Rocket Lab Corporation $RKLB

Equitable Holdings Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 15,732 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,599,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in RKLB. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in Rocket Lab by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,049 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $208,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Rocket Lab by 7.1% during the first quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,869 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $120,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Rocket Lab by 3.9% in the first quarter. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,320 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $213,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Parvin Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Rocket Lab by 4.0% in the first quarter. Parvin Asset Management LLC now owns 3,665 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $235,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fort Sheridan Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Rocket Lab by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Fort Sheridan Advisors LLC now owns 5,324 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock valued at $371,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the last quarter. 71.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Rocket Lab Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ RKLB opened at $64.39 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $77.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $84.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 5.48 and a quick ratio of 4.98. The company has a market cap of $38.53 billion, a PE ratio of -238.47 and a beta of 2.60. Rocket Lab Corporation has a 12 month low of $37.57 and a 12 month high of $151.00.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.08) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $234.07 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $231.62 million. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on RKLB shares. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on shares of Rocket Lab from $96.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. BTIG Research reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Rocket Lab from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Rocket Lab currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $110.65.

Rocket Lab News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Defense and space-systems demand remain important growth drivers. Rocket Lab is benefiting from its selection by Viasat to build spacecraft buses for the U.S. Space Force’s Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global program. Its HASTE hypersonic test platform is also expanding the company’s exposure to Pentagon missions, supporting the view that Rocket Lab is more than an Electron launch provider. Rocket Lab HASTE defense coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Electron execution and analyst revisions offer potential support. Rocket Lab has reached 93 Electron launches, while some analysts have raised earnings estimates. A hammer chart pattern has also prompted bottom-fishing interest after the decline. Rocket Lab bottom-fisher coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly bullish, but the valuation requires strong execution. Rocket Lab carries a reported “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $110.65, but the company remains unprofitable and trades at a high valuation relative to current earnings. Its elevated beta also leaves the stock vulnerable to sharp swings.
• Negative Sentiment: Neutron timing is the largest operational risk. Reports that the medium-lift Neutron rocket’s first launch could slip into 2027 have weakened a key investment thesis. The delay would postpone a major revenue and valuation catalyst while extending development costs. Rocket Lab Neutron timeline coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds to near-term pressure. Five executives sold approximately $5.5 million of shares, including sizable sales by the CFO and COO. The transactions were made under Rule 10b5-1 plans to cover tax withholding on vested restricted stock units, reducing their significance, though no comparable insider buying was reported. Rocket Lab executive sale coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability remains a concern. Rocket Lab’s latest quarterly revenue exceeded expectations, but its $0.08-per-share loss was wider than forecast. Continued annual losses make the stock particularly sensitive to acquisition uncertainty, Neutron delays, and any slowdown in launch or defense growth.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Arjun Kampani sold 88,000 shares of Rocket Lab stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.98, for a total value of $9,502,240.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 264,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,582,845.90. The trade was a 24.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Frank Klein sold 45,692 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.63, for a total value of $3,181,533.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 961,295 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $66,934,970.85. The trade was a 4.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 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 sold a total of 3,524,214 shares of company stock worth $309,110,848 in the last three months. 8.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.