Latest news with #RocketLab
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Should You Buy Rocket Lab While It's Below $40?
Rocket Lab stock is soaring on optimism over the rocket launch provider. The company is planning to unveil its next-generation rocket called the Neutron later this year. Rocket Lab stock looks overvalued at today's price levels. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › Space and defense stocks have gone to the moon this market cycle (pun intended). Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) is one of the great beneficiaries of this trend, as the rocket launch, space systems, and defense company has seen its stock soar close to 600% in the last 12 months, absolutely crushing the broad market indices. It recently surpassed a price of $33, hitting a new all-time high in recent weeks. Investors are optimistic about the future of this space flight disrupter as it aims to compete with SpaceX. Should you buy the stock while it is still below $40? Or is it too late to add Rocket Lab to your portfolio? The answer may surprise you. Rocket Lab is the only independent space provider to come anywhere close to competing with SpaceX, the dominant player in the sector. It began its journey developing the small and nimble Electron rocket, which ferries commercial and defense payloads into space with extreme accuracy. Earlier this month, the 65th Electron rocket was launched into space, with many more waiting in Rocket Lab's backlog. The next step for Rocket Lab is the debut of its larger Neutron rocket, which will directly compete with SpaceX in size and capabilities. The Neutron will have a much higher payload capability than the Electron, which means more potential revenue per rocket launch. A Falcon 9 launch at SpaceX can cost over $50 million, which should be a comparable figure for the Neutron once it starts performing for customers. Management believes the Neutron will debut its first launch in 2025, with commercial launches planned in the years after. Rocket Lab's total revenue was only $466 million over the last 12 months, meaning that just a few annual Neutron launches could be quite meaningful to top-line growth. On top of launches, Rocket Lab has built and bought capabilities in the space systems sector, which encompasses items that you put onto payloads in space such as satellites and solar arrays. It just acquired a company called Geost to help further its vertical integration into the defense satellite sector, a highly important capability to have today. In fact, over 70% of Rocket Lab's Q1 revenue came from the space systems segment, making it a much larger market opportunity than just rocket launches. A vertically integrated space company is an ambitious goal, and Rocket Lab is aiming to build it from launch to space gear to eventually software services, according to management. It has a nice narrative, but it is not guaranteed to work. For one, the Neutron rocket has never even performed a test launch. As investors have recently seen with SpaceX and its Starship tests, mishaps in testing can lead to disastrous (and expensive) results. Rocket Lab is currently unprofitable, burning $177 million in annual free cash flow as it builds out the Neutron and other space system segments. With just over $500 million in cash and equivalents, the company is only a few years of cash burn and failed tests of the Neutron rocket from running into a liquidity concern. These are unproven markets, and while Rocket Lab is innovating in a field that could potentially be worth tens of billions of dollars someday, its business plan comes with a lot of risks. After soaring 600% in the last 12 months, Rocket Lab now trades at a market cap of $15 billion. That brings its trailing price-to-sales ratio (P/S) to a sky-high level of 36. For reference, the S&P 500 trades at an average P/S ratio of 3, or about 10% the level of Rocket Lab. Yes, Rocket Lab has a higher growth potential than the average stock, and could easily be generating billions of dollars in revenue in the future. It is not guaranteed to do so, though. Even if Rocket Lab reaches $3 billion in sales -- close to 10x today's level -- it is unclear how much of that would translate to bottom-line profits due to its low gross margins below 30%. If it achieves a bottom-line profit margin of 10%, that would equate to $300 million in annual earnings, or a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of over 50 compared to its current market cap. And these earnings will not materialize for many years, if they end up doing so at all. However you slice it, Rocket Lab looks like an overvalued stock that has gotten ahead of itself in the last year or so. Avoid buying Rocket Lab for your portfolio. Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you'll want to hear this. On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a 'Double Down' stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you're worried you've already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it's too late. And the numbers speak for themselves: Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009, you'd have $409,114!* Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you'd have $38,173!* Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you'd have $713,547!* Right now, we're issuing 'Double Down' alerts for three incredible companies, available when you join , and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon.*Stock Advisor returns as of June 23, 2025 Brett Schafer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Rocket Lab. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Should You Buy Rocket Lab While It's Below $40? was originally published by The Motley Fool
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Rocket Lab launches Japanese Earth-observing radar satellite to orbit
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Rocket Lab launched an Earth-observing radar satellite to orbit for the Japanese company iQPS on Wednesday morning (June 11). An Electron rocket topped with the QPS-SAR-11 spacecraft lifted off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site on Wednesday at 11:31 a.m. EDT (1531 GMT; 3:31 a.m. on June 12 local New Zealand time). The Electron did its job, deploying the satellite into a circular orbit 357 miles (575 kilometers) above Earth roughly 51 minutes after launch as planned. Rocket Lab called this mission "The Mountain God Guards." That's a reference to the QPS-SAR-11 satellite's nickname, Yamatsumi-1, which honors a Japanese god of the mountains. Yamatsumi-1 will join iQPS' synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation, which views targets on Earth in all weather conditions, day and night. "To date, 10 QPS-SAR satellites have been launched, and iQPS aims to establish a constellation of 36 satellites," Rocket Lab wrote in a mission description, which you can find here. "This will enable the delivery of a 'NearReal-Time Data Provisioning Service,' allowing for the observation of specific regions worldwide at an average interval of 10 minutes," the company added. "This will make it possible to collect continuous images as data, and to accumulate data not only on 'Stationary Objects' such as land and buildings, but also on 'Moving Objects' such as vehicles, ships, and cattle and livestock." Related Stories: — Rocket Lab launches new NASA solar sail tech to orbit (video, photos) — Rocket Lab launches private Earth-observing radar satellite to orbit (video, photos) — Rocket Lab launches 5 'Internet of Things' satellites to orbit (video) "The Mountain God Guards" was the the eighth mission of 2025 and 66th overall flight for the 59-foot-tall (18-meter-tall) Electron, which gives small satellites dedicated rides to orbit. Rocket Lab has now launched four missions for iQPS (which is short for "Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space"), and there are more to come: Today's flight was the third of eight contracted missions for iQPS expected to lift off in 2025 and 2026, according to Rocket Lab. Editor's note: This story was updated at 12:35 p.m. ET on June 11 with news of successful satellite deployment.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Rocket Lab launches 'Get the Hawk Outta Here' mission from New Zealand (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Rocket Lab has launched a quartet of satellites for Virginia-based company Hawkeye 360. An Electron rocket lifted off from Rocket Lab's Pad-A at Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand today at 1:28 p.m. EDT (1728 GMT; 5:28 a.m. local New Zealand time on June 27). The rocket carried Hawkeye 360's "Get the Hawk Outta Here" mission. Inside Electron's payload fairings were three radio frequency geolocation microsatellites and a fourth experimental satellite dubbed "Kestrel-0A". The group was released into a polar low-Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of about 320 miles (520 kilometers). Hawkeye 360 specializes in providing radio frequency geospatial analytics. The constellation trio aboard Get the Hawk Outta Here is designed to triangulate the origin of radio frequencies across the globe and is part of the company's "Cluster 12." The satellites will fill a "critical coverage gap," according to Rocket Lab's mission description, granting Hawkeye 360 the ability to "extract RF intelligence in regions of strategic interest." Kestrel-0A, meanwhile, is designed to "evaluate emerging capabilities and future technology enhancements," according to Rocket Lab. Related stories: — Rocket Lab launches Japanese Earth-observing radar satellite to orbit — Rocket Lab launches private Earth-observing satellite to orbit (video) — Rocket Lab unveils plan to land Neutron rockets at sea, 1st launch in 2025 Get the Hawk Outta Here is the second of three missions for Hawkeye 360 that Rocket Lab plans to launch. In total, Rocket Lab will ultimately deliver 15 satellites to LEO for Hawkeye 360. The first mission, dubbed "Virginia Is For Launch Lovers," served as Electron's debut mission and launched in Jan. 2023 from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 2 on Wallops Island, Virginia. This mission marks the 67th overall launch of Electron and ninth launch of 2025 for Rocket Lab — and the company shows no signs of a slowing cadence. Rocket Lab still has at least half a dozen launches left on its docket for this year, including the debut of its larger, more powerful Neutron rocket that's designed to be partially reusable. Rocket Lab also flies a suborbital variant of Electron called HASTE, which serves as a testbed for hypersonic technologies.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Rocket Lab (RKLB) Jumps 11.7% on Successful Rocket Launch, Hints at New Mission
Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) is one of the . Rocket Lab jumped by 11.72 percent on Thursday to finish at $36.14 apiece following the successful launch of its latest mission, while hinting at another launch over the weekend. In a statement, Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) said it successfully launched its 67th Electron rocket, called 'Get the Hawk Outta Here,' on a dedicated launch for radio frequency geospatial analytics provider HawkEye 360. The mission deployed four satellites to a 520-km circular low Earth orbit: a trio of microsatellites called Cluster 12 to collect and geolocate radio frequency signals from around the world, along with Kestrel-0A, an experimental satellite designed to evaluate emerging capabilities and future technology enhancements. A launch pad atop a grassy hill, smoke filled sky from a successful voyage to space. This coming Saturday, June 28th (New Zealand time), Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) is expected to launch its 68th Electron rocket, called the Symphony in the Stars. While we acknowledge the potential of RKLB as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
a day ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Rocket Lab Completes Record Launch Turnaround From Launch Complex 1, Successfully Deploys 68th Electron Mission
MAHIA, New Zealand--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 28, 2025-- Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB) ('Rocket Lab' or 'the Company'), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today successfully launched its 68th Electron rocket to deploy a single satellite to space for a confidential commercial customer. The mission was the second of two launches from the same launch site in less than 48 hours, a new launch record for the Company as it continues to deliver dedicated, repeatable and reliable access to space for satellite operators. The 'Symphony In The Stars' mission lifted-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand on June 28 th (7:08 p.m./07:08 UTC) to deploy a single spacecraft to a 650km circular Earth orbit. The mission was the first of two dedicated launches for the new customer on Electron booked less than four months ago, with a second mission scheduled before the end of 2025. Rocket Lab has now completed four launches in June for commercial satellite constellation operators, underscoring Electron's consistent performance and rapid deployment capabilities as the world's leading small launcher: the 'Full Stream Ahead' mission on June 3 rd; 'The Mountain God Guards' mission on June 11 th; 'Get The Hawk Outta Here' launched on June 26 th UTC, and today's 'Symphony In The Stars' mission. Rocket Lab Founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, says: 'Electron has demonstrated once again that it is the gold standard for responsive and reliable space access for small satellites. The future of space is built on proven performance, and Electron continues to deliver against a stacked launch manifest this year. Congratulations to the team on achieving its fastest launch turnaround yet between two missions from Launch Complex 1. This launch was also a quick-turn mission to meet our customer's mission requirements, and we're looking forward to doing it again later this year.' 'Symphony In The Stars' was Rocket Lab's tenth Electron mission of 2025 and its 68th launch overall. With 100% mission success so far this year, Electron continues to deliver reliable deployment amid an increasing launch cadence and rapid contract-to-launch timelines. Launch images: Launch webcast: View source version on CONTACT: Rocket Lab Media Contact Murielle Baker [email protected] KEYWORD: AUSTRALIA/OCEANIA NEW ZEALAND INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING SATELLITE SOURCE: Rocket Lab Corporation Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 06/28/2025 04:45 AM/DISC: 06/28/2025 04:45 AM
