I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Rocket Lab (RKLB) and AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) report Q2 earnings on August 10. RKLB, up 84% YoY, recently secured significant contracts including a $397M Space Force deal. Analysts expect RKLB's Q2 revenue to reach ~$230.95 million with a consensus 'Strong Buy' rating and an average price target of $110.53, implying 33% upside.
Monday (August 10) will be a big day for space stocks. Both Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) and AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) will report Q2 earnings once the market action comes to a halt.
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Both stocks have followed similar trajectories over the past year, seeing huge gains before experiencing significant pullbacks in July. However, sentiment appears to be shifting in these names' favor again, with both rebounding strongly over the past week.
But with earnings on deck, which space stock is better positioned to keep the momentum intact?
RKLB shares currently sit 45% below May's highs, but despite the pullback, the shares are still up by 84% over the past year. Investors will be hoping for a repeat of RKLB's record-breaking first quarter, when the company generated more than $200.3 million in revenue, representing a 63.5% year-over-year increase, while its order backlog climbed above $2.2 billion.
Meanwhile, the stock's gains over the past week were helped by a $397 million Space Force contract announced on Tuesday covering the construction, launch, and operation of threat-tracking "Flatellites" using its Neutron rocket. The award came shortly after the company received a contract worth as much as $266 million for 12 suborbital missions, with the possibility of six additional launches. Rocket Lab has also secured three more Electron missions for Japanese customer iQPS, starting in late 2027, bringing the customer's total bookings to 18.
Neutron is likely to be one of the biggest talking points. Investors will particularly want to know whether the company continues to expect the rocket's first launch to take place toward the end of 2026.
As for the results, the Street expects Q2 revenue to come in at around $230.95 million (up 60% year-over-year), while the consensus EPS forecast stands at a loss of $0.06.
Analyst sentiment remains strongly positive. The stock has a Strong Buy consensus rating, based on 13 Buys and 4 Holds. The average price target clocks in at $110.53, suggesting the stock will gain 33% in the year ahead. (See RKLB stock forecast)