Rocket Lab Earnings Loom: Here’s What Investors Need to Know
Dylan Berman 4 hours ago
Trading IdeasMoversNewsEarnings
Rocket Lab is in the spotlight Monday ahead of earnings, with the Neutron timeline, Iridium acquisition and Space Systems growth in focus.
Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) shares are in the spotlight Monday, with earnings due today after the close, the Neutron timeline and the Iridium acquisition in focus, recent analyst activity and a technical setup showing a repair phase all drawing attention.
- Rocket Lab shares are advancing steadily. What’s pushing RKLB stock higher?
Earnings Preview & History
Rocket Lab is scheduled to report third-quarter earnings today, Nov. 9, after the market closes. Analysts estimate a loss of 7 cents per share along with revenue of $257.71 million. For the prior quarter, Rocket Lab reported a loss of 8 cents per share, versus the consensus estimate of a loss of 7 cents. The company also posted record revenue of $234.07 million, beating the consensus estimate of $231.35 million. Rocket Lab guided to third-quarter revenue of $250 million to $265 million.
What to Watch: Neutron Schedule, M&A Progress and Cash Burn
Investors will be closely tracking the Neutron rocket, whose first launch has slipped to 2027 after defects were found in a first-stage tank component, according to Cantor Fitzgerald, which expects the debut in the second quarter of 2027. Rocket Lab’s backlog will also be in focus, after it reached a record $2.36 billion at the end of the second quarter, up 137%, with more than $1 billion of new contracts signed early in the third quarter.
The pending Iridium acquisition will draw attention too. Rocket Lab agreed in June to buy the satellite communications company for about $8 billion, including $27 a share in cash and Rocket Lab stock, with closing expected by mid-2027. Iridium’s stockholders approved the deal in September, and Rocket Lab has raised about $1.9 billion through an at-the-market share sale to fund it.
Cash burn will be watched as well, with a GAAP operating loss of $57.5 million in the second quarter as Neutron spending continues. Space Systems made up about 81% of second-quarter revenue and doesn’t depend on Neutron, so its growth will be a focus.
Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions
The stock carries a Buy rating with an average price forecast of $103.23. Recent analyst moves include:
- Citizens: Market Outperform (Lowers Target to $90.00) (Oct. 16)
- TD Cowen: Buy (Maintains Target to $90.00) (Oct. 15)
- Keybanc: Overweight (Lowers Target to $100.00) (Oct. 15)
Rocket Lab Trades 31.4% Below 200-Day Average as August Death Cross Lingers
From a longer-term trend perspective, RKLB is still in a clear repair phase: at $53.71, the stock is trading 1.4% below its 20-day SMA ($54.87) and 13.5% below its 50-day SMA ($62.56). The bigger picture is heavier, with shares also trading 23.5% below the 100-day SMA ($70.68) and 31.4% below the 200-day SMA ($78.87), which keeps rallies vulnerable to selling pressure.
The moving-average structure reinforces that bearish backdrop, with the 20-day SMA below the 50-day SMA and the 50-day SMA below the 200-day SMA (the death cross that formed in August). In practical terms, that setup often means rebounds tend to fade into overhead supply until price can reclaim at least the 50-day area and hold it.
Momentum is also leaning cautious using MACD as the primary lens: MACD is below its signal line and the histogram is negative, which points to upside pressure cooling versus the prior upswing. For non-technical readers, MACD compares faster and slower trend signals—when it sits below the signal line, it typically suggests momentum is weakening unless buyers step back in.
Key levels are fairly well-defined given where price sits in the range between the November 2025 low ($37.57) and the May high ($151.00). A push back toward the low $60s would start to matter more if it coincides with reclaiming the 50-day zone, while a slip toward the high $40s would test whether dip-buyers are still willing to defend recent floors.
- Key Resistance: $61.00 — a round-number area that lines up closely with the 50-day moving-average zone where rebounds can stall
- Key Support: $49.50 — a nearby floor that sits below current price and can act as the next "line in the sand" if selling returns
Rocket Lab Shares Edge Higher
RKLB Price Action: At the time of publication, Rocket Lab shares are trading 1.04% higher at $53.62, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
Image via Shutterstock
