Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) Stock Analysis: KeyBanc Lowers Price Target Amid Neutron Launch Delay

• KeyBanc has reduced its price target for Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) from $135.00 to $100.00.
• The anticipated first launch of Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket has been delayed from 2026 to 2027.
• Shares of Rocket Lab experienced a significant drop of 7.85% in response to the delay and revised price target.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) trades at $59.18 as KeyBanc lowers its price target for Rocket Lab to $100.00 from $135.00. A price target is an analyst’s estimate of where a stock could trade. The new target is about 69% above the share price, though it is $35.00 lower than KeyBanc’s previous target.

Rocket Lab builds rockets and provides space services. Its larger Neutron rocket is designed to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon 9. Neutron’s first launch matters because it would mark Rocket Lab’s entry into a larger part of the launch market.

Rocket Lab now expects Neutron’s first launch in 2027 instead of 2026. Its development update does not give a specific launch date. The delay sends shares down about 6% in extended trading, as highlighted by Reuters.

At $59.18, Rocket Lab is down $5.04, or 7.85%, in the reported trading session. The shares trade between $58.85 and $63.56 during the day. Rocket Lab’s market capitalization—the value of all its shares—is about $35.4 billion, with roughly 24.1 million shares traded.