Overview
- Viasat selected Rocket Lab to build a satellite bus for the U.S. Space Force’s Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global program on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, and the stock rose roughly 2.3% to $82.08 after the announcement.
- Rocket Lab reported second-quarter revenue of $234.1 million, up about 62% year over year, while posting an adjusted loss of $0.08 per share that management blamed on integration costs and an unfavorable business mix.
- The company carries a contract backlog of about $2.36 billion and recently launched eight satellites for MDA Space and Globalstar as the first tranche of a $143 million order, with all eight reaching orbit and entering commissioning.
- Analysts remain mostly positive with roughly 82% rating Rocket Lab a Buy and an average price target near $117, and Stifel called the Viasat slot an "eight-figure" opportunity while keeping a $132 target.
- Significant insider selling in recent months sits alongside large institutional buying and a market capitalization near $50 billion, leaving valuation (about 40 times next-year sales) and governance signaling as investor watch points.