Rocket Lab Stock Is Surging Today: What's Going On?

Rocket Lab Corp (NASDAQ:RKLB) is trading higher Tuesday, extending a 2025 rally as investors digested upbeat analyst commentary and a swelling defense backlog. The stock is trading near the upper end of its 52-week range. Here’s what investors need to know. Rocket Lab stock is showing positive momentum. What’s the outlook for RKLB shares? What To Know: Needham analyst Ryan Koontz last week reiterated a Buy rating and lifted his price target to $90 from $63, saying Rocket Lab is emerging as an alternative to SpaceX. He highlighted a growing space-systems segment supplying satellite buses and components to government and commercial constellation customers, with profits helping fund launch operations. The Needham analyst also cited the Electron small-lift rocket's track record and the coming Neutron medium-lift vehicle, whose first commercial missions in 2026 could boost earnings and cash flow. Rocket Lab's positioning in national-security space has also strengthened after winning a Space Development Agency Tracking Layer Tranche 3 contract, which more than doubled its space-systems backlog to roughly $1.4 billion and put the company alongside legacy primes such as Lockheed Martin and L3Harris. Sector sentiment has brightened into year-end on speculation that Elon Musk's SpaceX could pursue an initial public offering in 2026, potentially at a valuation near $1.5 trillion. Such a deal, sector specialist Andrew Chanin argues, could reset public valuations and draw fresh capital into listed space names including Rocket Lab and others in the Procure Space ETF (AMEX:UFO), helping extend the rally in space stocks into 2026. Benzinga Edge Rankings: Benzinga Edge data shows Rocket Lab carries a Momentum score of 97.24, signaling exceptionally strong recent price performance relative to the broader market. RKLB Price Action: Rocket Lab shares were up 3.08% at $72.29 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data. The current price is significantly elevated compared to historical levels, sitting 26.9% above the average price over the last 50 days and 73% above the 200-day average. This strong performance reflects investor confidence and bullish sentiment surrounding Rocket Lab’s growth prospects in the aerospace sector. EXCLUSIVE: Market Expert Jay Woods Says ‘Bull Run Continues, But The Stampede Is Not Going To Be There’ In 2026 Image: Shutterstock