Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Releases Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.05 EPS

10 Nov 2026, 01:40 by Michael Walen · The Markets Daily

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB – Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings data on Monday. The rocket manufacturer reported ($0.12) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.07) by ($0.05), FiscalAI reports. Rocket Lab had a negative net margin of 21.51% and a negative return on equity of 6.48%. The firm had revenue of $267.83 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $257.21 million.

Here are the key takeaways from Rocket Lab’s conference call:

Rocket Lab reported record Q3 revenue of $267.8 million, up 73% year over year, and GAAP and non-GAAP gross margins exceeded guidance. Q4 revenue is forecast at $270 million–$290 million.
Backlog reached a record $3.57 billion, up 52% sequentially, following 54 launch bookings and substantial Space Systems awards. Neutron’s first 16 launches are booked, with multiple contracts priced at a $70 million base rate.
Space Systems delivered $214.8 million in quarterly revenue and had $1.7 billion in backlog; 55-plus spacecraft are in development or production. Management cited strong demand across government, commercial and component businesses.
Neutron’s first launch has shifted to 2027 after defects were found in a propellant-tank dome; the replacement is being built and tested. Development spending and investment in production remain elevated, and management expects negative free cash flow in Q4.
The Iridium acquisition is fully financed and received overwhelming shareholder approval, but regulatory approvals remain outstanding. Rocket Lab ended Q3 with about $4.7 billion in liquidity, aided by $2.4 billion in gross proceeds from its completed at-the-market share offering.

Rocket Lab Stock Up 10.9%

Shares of RKLB stock traded up $5.79 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $58.86. The company had a trading volume of 31,229,231 shares, compared to its average volume of 22,768,348. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 4.98 and a current ratio of 5.48. Rocket Lab has a twelve month low of $37.57 and a twelve month high of $151.00. The company has a market capitalization of $35.22 billion, a P/E ratio of -217.99 and a beta of 3.15. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $62.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $78.80.

Key Stories Impacting Rocket Lab

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

Positive Sentiment: Revenue rose 72.7% year over year to $267.8 million, beating analyst estimates. The company also reported record backlog growth of $1.2 billion, or 52% sequentially, positive GAAP operating cash flow, and forecast fourth-quarter revenue of about $280 million at the midpoint with gross-margin expansion. Rocket Lab Q3 2026 results
Positive Sentiment: Rocket Lab secured more than $515 million in Neutron launch deals during the quarter. The rocket’s backlog reached 16 missions, and the company raised its base launch price to $70 million for several missions—evidence of customer demand ahead of Neutron’s debut. Neutron launch deals
Negative Sentiment: The quarterly loss was $0.12 per share, wider than analysts’ expected $0.07 loss. Reports attributed the after-hours share decline to the earnings miss, despite the revenue beat and stronger outlook. Rocket Lab shares fall after earnings miss
Negative Sentiment: Neutron’s first launch is now expected in 2027, extending a key execution risk for investors even as the launch vehicle’s customer backlog grows. Neutron debut delay

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Raymond James Financial started coverage on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Friday, September 11th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $80.00 target price for the company. Barclays started coverage on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Friday, October 9th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $85.00 price target on the stock. Citizens Jmp decreased their price objective on shares of Rocket Lab from $130.00 to $90.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 16th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Rocket Lab from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a “mixed” rating and issued a $122.00 price objective on shares of Rocket Lab in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $102.05.

View Our Latest Report on RKLB

Insider Buying and Selling at Rocket Lab

In related news, Director Nina Armagno sold 10,926 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.78, for a total transaction of $576,674.28. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 100,496 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,304,178.88. The trade was a 9.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Frank Klein sold 35,558 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.61, for a total value of $2,368,518.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 925,737 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,663,341.57. This represents a 3.70% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders sold 551,832 shares of company stock worth $34,940,037. Insiders own 8.40% of the company’s stock.

About Rocket Lab

(Get Free Report)

Rocket Lab is a space company that provides launch services and spacecraft and satellite systems for commercial, civil, and national security customers. Founded in 2006 by Peter Beck, the company operates internationally, with headquarters in Long Beach, California, and launch operations in New Zealand and the United States.