Rocket Lab shares rose amid Nasdaq-100 inclusion and excitement over SpaceX's IPO.
- Nasdaq announced on Thursday that Rocket Lab will join the Nasdaq-100 before markets open on June 22.
- The inclusion coincides with Rocket Lab’s production of its 100th Electron rocket.
- SpaceX could join the Nasdaq-100 as early as July under Nasdaq’s new fast-track rules for large IPOs.
Rocket Lab USA (RKLB) stock is headed for a weekly gain as investors responded to a combination of enthusiasm surrounding the upcoming SpaceX IPO and NASDAQ 100 index inclusion that could increase institutional ownership of the stock.
RKLB To Join Nasdaq-100 Index
Nasdaq announced the changes on Thursday as part of its June 2026 review of the Nasdaq-100 Index. Rocket Lab will officially join the index before the market opens on June 22, showing that space companies are becoming more important in mainstream investing.
Also, the index inclusion comes during a period of heightened investor attention on the aerospace industry following the public debut of SpaceX, which has set its IPO price at $135 per share, raising $75 billion and giving the company a value of about $1.8 trillion.
Rocket Lab's selection into Nasaq places the company alongside some of the largest technology businesses in the market, Nvidia (NVDA), Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT).
Rocket Lab USA’s stock traded over 8% higher overnight, ahead of Friday.
RKLB’s Production Crosses Milestone
Rocket Lab’s elevation to the Nasdaq 100 arrives as the company reaches another operational achievement: the production of its 100th Electron rocket.
Electron, its small-satellite rocket, has become a key part of the firm's business model, supporting frequent missions from launch facilities in both New Zealand and Virginia.
The company has secured more than 70 contracted missions, including agreements extending several years into the future, with a backlog valued at $2.2 billion.
Rocke Lab’s addition of technologies from Motiv Space Systems and the rollout of its Gauss electric propulsion platform, designed to support satellite operators and reduce reliance on outside suppliers indicate its spread across the space business.
Will SpaceX Join Nasdaq-100 Soon?
SpaceX could become one of the fastest companies ever added to the Nasdaq 100 after a recent overhaul of index eligibility rules.
The anticipated addition stems from a revised methodology adopted by Nasdaq, allowing certain newly listed mega-cap companies to qualify for index inclusion after a shorter waiting period than previously required. Under the updated framework, SpaceX could join the Nasdaq 100 in early July.
In the past, newly public companies usually had to trade for several months before they could be added to major stock indexes. Nasdaq has changed that approach, allowing faster entry into the Nasdaq-100, while indexes like the S&P 500 still require companies to meet longer trading and operating history requirements before they can be included.
Therefore, Funds linked to Nasdaq benchmarks may gain access to the company much sooner than products tied to other major market indexes.
How Do Retail Traders Feel About RKLB?
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around the stock jumped to ‘bullish’ from ‘bearish’ territory the previous day.
A user said, “All these getting added to Nasdaq 100 index.Beautiful combination. Wow!!”
Another user said, “THIS IS GOING TO $150 TOMORROW.”
RKLB stock has gained over 64% year-to-date.
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