Merline Saintil Sells 12,500 Shares of Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Stock

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) Director Merline Saintil sold 12,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.00, for a total transaction of $1,125,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 280,029 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,202,610. This trade represents a 4.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Merline Saintil also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, January 13th, Merline Saintil sold 96,000 shares of Rocket Lab stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.58, for a total transaction of $8,311,680.00.
• On Friday, December 19th, Merline Saintil sold 5,000 shares of Rocket Lab stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.00, for a total value of $325,000.00.
• On Wednesday, December 17th, Merline Saintil sold 5,000 shares of Rocket Lab stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.46, for a total value of $272,300.00.
• On Friday, December 12th, Merline Saintil sold 15,000 shares of Rocket Lab stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.00, for a total value of $975,000.00.
• On Thursday, December 4th, Merline Saintil sold 10,000 shares of Rocket Lab stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total transaction of $480,000.00.

Rocket Lab Stock Up 6.1%

NASDAQ RKLB opened at $96.30 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $51.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -253.42 and a beta of 2.16. Rocket Lab Corporation has a 1-year low of $14.71 and a 1-year high of $99.58. The company has a current ratio of 3.18, a quick ratio of 2.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a 50 day moving average of $61.54 and a 200-day moving average of $54.09.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 10th. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.03) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.05) by $0.02. The business had revenue of $155.08 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $152.45 million. Rocket Lab had a negative net margin of 35.64% and a negative return on equity of 27.26%. The company’s revenue was up 48.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned ($0.10) earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Rocket Lab Corporation will post -0.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Rocket Lab News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley issued a large upgrade and raised its view on Rocket Lab, which triggered renewed buy-side interest and helped lift the stock. Rocket Lab Stock Jumps on Morgan Stanley Massive Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Large government/defense awards and a swelling backlog (previously reported) increase revenue visibility and support higher growth expectations for 2026 — a key fundamental driver underpinning the rally. Defense Contract Win Drives Shares to All-Time High
• Positive Sentiment: Research pieces and analyst commentary are lifting 2026 revenue expectations (one deep-dive projects roughly $900M), reinforcing the narrative that Rocket Lab is moving to a larger revenue tier as Defense & Space Systems backlog converts. Rocket Lab Enters A Different League
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually heavy options activity — roughly 172,414 call contracts traded (about +18% vs. typical daily call volume) — signals speculative bullish positioning and can amplify intraday moves but doesn’t change fundamentals.
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus broker view remains tilted toward buy/moderate-buy on average, keeping institutional interest and coverage high (Marketbeat consensus: “Moderate Buy”). Consensus “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages
• Negative Sentiment: KeyBanc downgraded RKLB from Overweight to Sector Weight citing valuation and potential “Neutron euphoria,” which triggered profit-taking earlier and remains a headwind. KeyBanc downgrades Rocket Lab (RKLB)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sales by director Merline Saintil (large, recent disposals disclosed) can raise short-term concern about lockup monetization and add selling pressure. SEC Filing – Insider Sales
• Negative Sentiment: Several commentators warn the rally may be overextended; execution slips or Neutron timeline delays could trigger a large pullback given rich valuation multiples.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Robert W. Baird assumed coverage on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $83.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Roth Capital reissued a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Rocket Lab in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC lifted their price target on Rocket Lab from $63.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $64.42.

Institutional Trading of Rocket Lab

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in Rocket Lab during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Hara Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Rocket Lab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Rocket Lab during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in Rocket Lab by 352.5% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 543 shares of the rocket manufacturer’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 423 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new position in Rocket Lab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.78% of the company’s stock.

About Rocket Lab

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.