Rocket Lab Wins $266M Space Force Deal, But Neutron Slips to 2027
RKLB sits 47% above its 52-week low of $37.57 on elevated volume (2.5× avg).
Summary
Rocket Lab locked in a $266M fixed-price U.S. Space Force contract for 12 suborbital launches from Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska, with options for six more through Dec 31, 2028. That adds to a $2.36B backlog, up 137% year over year, and follows Q2 revenue of $234M (+62%) with Q3 guided to $250–$265M. The offset: Neutron's first flight has slipped to 2027, pushing the vehicle's debut and first revenue launch further out and keeping the company unprofitable with gross margins below expectations, and the stock fell 7% to December lows. Analysts are split on the delay — Roth holds Buy at $110, Clear Street cut to $105, KeyBanc trimmed to $100 on slower near-term growth, while Sheppard keeps Buy at $122. The contract win is real revenue visibility, but Neutron timing is the swing factor for the stock.
At the time of this announcement, RKLB was trading at $55.12 on NASDAQ in the Industrial Applications And Services sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $33.1B. The 52-week trading range was $37.57 to $151.00. This news item was assessed with negative market sentiment and an importance score of 7 out of 10. Source: Wiseek News.