Rocket Lab shares rose as much as 10% on Tuesday and were up 8.4% as of 2:51 p.m. ET, after the company said the Neutron rocket's second stage and thrust module had left its factory for Launch Complex 3 in Wallops Island, Virginia, where the thrust module will be placed on the launch mount for checkouts and systems demonstrations. Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Andres Sheppard reiterated an overweight rating and a $122 price target, suggesting potential gains of 127% from Monday's close, and expects a Neutron launch in the second quarter of 2027. The article notes that Neutron's inaugural launch was delayed to 2027 after a defect was found in the propellant dome. Rocket Lab stock had been volatile, gaining 115% in the first five months of 2026 before plunging more than 61% since the recent SpaceX IPO, and it trades at 44 times sales versus 61 times sales for SpaceX.
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