Rocket Lab Corp (NASDAQ:RKLB) shares have soared this week, climbing 19% over the last five days to over $49. The rally pushes the company's market capitalization to $26.44 billion, fueled by bullish analyst sentiment and anticipation for its 19th Electron mission of 2025. Here’s what investors need to know.
- Rocket Lab stock is seeing strength this week. What should traders watch with RKLB?
What To Know: The upcoming mission, dubbed Raise and Shine, represents a pivotal expansion of Rocket Lab’s government portfolio as a dedicated launch for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. While unfavorable weather in New Zealand has pushed the launch window from Dec. 5 to no earlier than Dec. 7, investor confidence remains high.
The mission aims to deploy the RAISE-4 satellite, further cementing Rocket Lab’s dominance. Recent data indicates the company holds a 97% share of the U.S. small launch market, excluding SpaceX.
Wall Street has responded positively to the company’s accelerating launch cadence and the scheduled first-quarter 2026 debut of its medium-lift Neutron rocket. Needham recently reiterated a Buy rating with a $63 price target, while Bank of America raised its target to $60.
Despite the minor weather delay, the combination of favorable analyst coverage and successful milestones regarding its NASA-backed Mars spacecraft has generated significant momentum for the stock.
Benzinga Edge Rankings: Underscoring this positive market activity, Benzinga Edge rankings currently assign Rocket Lab a robust Momentum score of 94.23.
RKLB Price Action: Rocket Lab shares were down 2.75% at $48.01 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
From a technical perspective, the stock’s position relative to its moving averages suggests a potential consolidation phase. Being 10.1% below the 50-day moving average may indicate short-term bearish sentiment, while the 30.2% distance above the 200-day moving average suggests a longer-term bullish trend remains intact.
Traders may look for a breakout above the 50-day moving average as a signal for potential upward momentum.
Read Also: Space Stock Tracker: Rocket Lab, AST Fly Again
How To Buy RKLB Stock
Besides going to a brokerage platform to purchase a share – or fractional share – of stock, you can also gain access to shares either by buying an exchange traded fund (ETF) that holds the stock itself, or by allocating yourself to a strategy in your 401(k) that would seek to acquire shares in a mutual fund or other instrument.
For example, in Rocket Lab’s case, it is in the Industrials sector. An ETF will likely hold shares in many liquid and large companies that help track that sector, allowing an investor to gain exposure to the trends within that segment.
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