Rocket Lab Corp. ( RKLB ) shares rose Thursday after the company secured a $190 million contract—its largest to date—for 20 HASTE hypersonic test launches under the MACH-TB 2.0 program.

The four-year deal, led by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc. , boosts Rocket Lab's ( RKLB ) backlog to over 70 launches and more than $2 billion across launch and space systems.

The company said the first mission could occur within months. Rocket Lab ( RKLB ) has already completed multiple Mach 5+ HASTE flights with a 100% success rate since 2023.

CEO Sir Peter Beck said the partnership will "strengthen America’s national security" and accelerate hypersonic testing.

Rocket Lab ( RKLB ) has sold 28 launches so far in the first quarter of 2026, nearly matching its full-year 2025 total.

Technical Analysis

Currently, Rocket Lab ( RKLB ) is trading 0.20% above its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) and 5.72% above its 100-day SMA, indicating a bullish short-term trend. Over the past 12 months, shares have surged 269.97%, and they are positioned closer to their 52-week highs than lows, reflecting strong overall performance.

The RSI is at 47.01, suggesting neutral momentum, while the MACD shows a value of -0.6587, with the signal line at -1.1530, indicating a bullish crossover. This combination suggests that while the stock is not currently overbought or oversold, there is potential for upward movement.

Key Resistance: $77.50

Key Support: $66.50

Earnings & Analyst Outlook

Rocket Lab ( RKLB ) is slated to provide its next financial update on May 7, 2026 (estimated).

EPS Estimate: Loss of 8 cents (Up from Loss of 12 cents)

Revenue Estimate: $191.05 million (Up from $122.57 million)

Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Buy Rating with an average price target of $66.77. Recent analyst moves include:

Cantor Fitzgerald: Overweight (Maintains Target to $85.00) (Mar. 13)

Needham: Buy (Lowers Target to $95.00) (Feb. 27)

Cantor Fitzgerald: Overweight (Raises Target to $85.00) (Feb. 27)

Top ETF Exposure

SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF : 5.66% Weight

ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF ( ARKQ ) : 4.97% Weight

ARK Space & Defense Innovation ETF ( ARKX ) : 7.81% Weight

Significance: Because RKLB carries such a heavy weight in these funds, any significant inflows or outflows for these ETFs will likely force automatic buying or selling of the stock.

RKLB Price Action: Rocket Lab ( RKLB ) shares were up 1.47% at $70.50 during premarket trading on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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