Rocket Lab Corp (RKLB) shares kept falling Monday morning, extending a brutal stretch that's seen the stock shed 35% over the past month. If you're wondering what's going on here, the short answer is: not much, at least not with the company itself.
Last week, Rocket Lab actually delivered pretty solid results. The space company posted a third-quarter loss of just 3 cents per share, crushing analyst expectations of an 11-cent loss. Revenue came in at $155.05 million, also topping forecasts. The company guided fourth-quarter revenue between $170 million and $180 million and reported a record gross margin of 37%.
Good News That Couldn't Stop the Bleeding
Beyond the numbers, Rocket Lab had plenty of operational wins to celebrate. The company locked down 17 new Electron launch contracts during the quarter and confirmed that its two NASA-backed spacecraft successfully started their journey to Mars. The reusable Neutron rocket remains on schedule to arrive at its new launch complex in Q1 2026, and the company is sitting on over $1 billion in liquidity.
Analysts clearly liked what they saw. Needham and Stifel both raised their price targets following the earnings report, signaling confidence in the company's trajectory.
So why is the stock getting hammered? Blame the macro environment. Hawkish commentary from Federal Reserve officials about persistent inflation has crushed hopes for near-term rate cuts, and that's wreaking havoc on tech-heavy indices and growth stocks. When the Fed talks tough, high-growth companies like Rocket Lab tend to feel the pain first.
The Silver Lining
Despite the recent selloff, Rocket Lab maintains a strong momentum score of 94.78 according to market analytics, and the long-term price trend remains positive. Sometimes good companies get caught in bad market currents, and that appears to be exactly what's happening here.
Shares were down 4.63% at $43.43 during Monday trading, continuing the downward momentum that has erased weeks of gains in a matter of days.
