RKLB Stock’s 2-Week Rally Is On The Line — But Cathie Wood’s ARK Is Loading Up As Wall Street Sees 55% Upside

ARK Investment Management bought 233,482 RKLB shares across ARKK, ARKQ and ARKX, worth about $16.5 million.

• Wall Street’s average 12-month price target of $109.15 implies nearly 55% upside, with Koyfin showing an average analyst rating of ‘Strong Buy.’
• Citi initiated Rocket Lab with a ‘Buy’ rating and $105 target, implying 49% upside, while calling RKLB a “core holding for space bulls.”
• Rocket Lab recently landed its largest commercial Electron contract yet, securing 20 additional launches for Synspective.

Shares of Rocket Lab (RKLB) are struggling to extend their two-week winning streak even as Cathie Wood’s ARK Investment Management scoops up shares and analysts see nearly 55% upside from current levels.

RKLB stock rose more than 1% on Thursday to $70.46, but is still on track to snap a two-week winning streak, with shares down 5% so far this week.

Cathie Wood’s ARK Scoops Up $16.5M In RKLB

ARK Investment Management purchased 233,482 Rocket Lab shares across three of its ETFs on Thursday. The ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) bought 176,772 shares, the ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF (ARKQ) added 40,800 shares and the ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (ARKX) purchased 15,910 shares. At Thursday’s closing price, the combined purchase would be worth $16.5 million.

Wall Street is also firmly bullish on Rocket Lab. According to Koyfin, RKLB carries an average analyst rating of ‘Strong Buy.’ Of 21 covering analysts, 13 rate the stock ‘Buy,’ four have a ‘Hold,’ and none rate it ‘Sell’ or ‘Strong Sell.’ The average 12-month price target of $109.15 implies a 55% upside from current levels.

Additionally, Citi initiated RKLB with a ‘Buy’ rating and a $105 price target, implying a 49% upside from current levels. The firm highlighted Rocket Lab as one of only a few companies providing regular commercial access to orbit and called the stock a “core holding for space bulls.”

RKLB Lands Record 20-Launch Electron Deal

The Citi call followed another major commercial win for Rocket Lab. The company on Wednesday announced a multi-year agreement for 20 additional Electron launches with Japanese Earth-observation company Synspective, marking the largest commercial Electron contract in Rocket Lab’s history.

The agreement takes Synspective’s total booked Electron missions to 47, the most of any Rocket Lab launch customer, and pushes Rocket Lab’s overall launch backlog beyond 100 missions. The new missions, scheduled between 2028 and 2031, will deploy Synspective’s StriX synthetic aperture radar satellites from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Rocket Lab’s Next Act: Iridium And Neutron

Rocket Lab launched Synspective’s 13th StriX satellite last week, marking Electron’s 97th mission and Rocket Lab’s 18th launch of 2026. The company said all 13 StriX satellites launched for Synspective have been successfully deployed.

Meanwhile, Rocket Lab is advancing its $8 billion acquisition of Iridium Communications. Iridium shareholders approved the transaction last week, clearing a key hurdle toward the companies’ targeted mid-2027 closing.

The next major operational milestone is Neutron. Rocket Lab has said the reusable medium-lift rocket’s maiden flight is targeted for no earlier than the fourth quarter of 2026. Neutron already has commercial demand lined up. An agreement announced in May covers five dedicated Neutron launches and three Electron missions for an undisclosed customer, helping push Rocket Lab’s backlog above $2.2 billion at the time.

How Do Retail Traders Feel About RKLB?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for RKLB slipped to ‘bearish’ from ‘neutral’ levels a day ago amid ‘high’ message volume.

One user said, “The Synspective contract proves Electron isn't just surviving—it's establishing real market dominance in small-sat launch frequency. Expanding the backlog is key for $RKLB as they fund Neutron R&D.”

View this Stocktwits post

Another user warned, “$RKLB dont be suprised for a dip tomorrow below 70..if your looking to add. As shady as the market has been i wouldnt even be suprised to really press people $68 or below to shake out.”

View this Stocktwits post

RKLB stock has risen 1% year-to-date.

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