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Rocket Lab (RKLB) shares are inching lower ahead of the space infrastructure firm’s Q2 earnings scheduled to be released today after market close.
Consensus is for the Nasdaq-listed firm to report a loss of $0.07 per share for its second quarter, which would represent a 46.15% improvement on a year-over-year basis.
The quarterly print arrives at a time when Rocket Lab stock has fallen out of favor with investors, currently down nearly 50% versus its year-to-date high in late May.
Options Data Suggests RKLB Shares Will Rally After Earnings
On the plus side, options traders believe the Q2 release will help RKLB stock recover at least some of its recent losses in the days ahead.
The put-to-call ratio on contracts expiring Aug. 14 sits at 0.58x currently, signaling a bullish skew.
And the upper price on those contracts, according to Barchart, is set at just under $90, indicating potential for a more than 10% rally through the end of this week.
Note that the aforementioned sell-off has contracted Rocket Lab’s price-to-sales (P/S) multiple to about 72x. However, it remains infinitely more expensive to own than rival Firefly Aerospace (FLY), at just over 24x.
Is It Worth Investing in Rocket Lab Stock Ahead of Q2 Print?
Heading into the quarterly release, Rocket Lab shares are trading below their 50-day and 100-day moving averages (MAs), indicating the broader downtrend remains intact.
Barchart data also reveals that insiders have not recorded even a single “buy” transaction in the trailing 12 months, the optics of which are clearly bearish for RKLB.
On the flip side, however, Rocket Lab has historically closed August with a more than 8% gain on average, followed by another 11.6% rally in September — a seasonal pattern that makes it notably more attractive to own in the near term.
RKLB still isn’t a suitable pick for income-focused investors, though, given it doesn’t currently pay a dividend.
How Wall Street Recommends Playing Rocket Lab
Investors should also note that Wall Street analysts seem to agree with options pricing for RKLB shares.
Heading into Q2 earnings, the consensus rating on Rocket Lab sits at “Strong Buy,” with the mean price target of $113 indicating potential upside of roughly 40% from here.
