Is Rocket Lab USA share a purchase now?

Last year was a record for Rocket Lab USA (RKLB -10.42%)))With considerable milestones and achievements in the aerospace industry.

His flagship -kelkron rocket continues to demonstrate its value and made Rocket Lab an important player on the market for small satellite starts and the No. 2 launch company in the USA, behind only SpaceX. It also makes progress in the development of its larger carrier vehicle, which promises to further expand its skills and to support a wider range of missions.

However, the share increased by 480% higher last year, which led to a high rating. Let us immerse yourself in the company and its growth prospects to see if it is a good purchase today.

Rocket Lab’s growing start shop

Rocket Lab USA has become an important partner for companies who want to bring small satellites to the orbit. With its flagship rocket, the electron, it can often and inexpensive missions for customers with smaller payloads. Last year was a banner year for the company because it successfully completed 16 starts, which contradicted 60% growth compared to 2023.

In addition to the starting services, Rocket Lab has a robust space system business. Among other things, the company offers engineering and design services, components and manufacturing activities for space vehicles. The two companies complement each other well and have recently recorded more growth in space systems.

In the first three quarters of the last three quarters of the last three quarters of the last year, the increasing starting cadence and the growth of space systems increased by 65% ​​to $ 304 million. The gross profit has also more than doubled to 79 million US dollars. However, there is a significant amount of research and development and administrative costs and has a loss of business of $ 138 million in the same period.

RKLB sales data (quarterly) of Ycharts.

There is a strong competition through SpaceX

Rocket Lab has made number 2 for Orbital -Start -Raket in the USA in the USA. However, it stays far behind SpaceX, which dominates the market. Last year SpaceX completed 134 Orbital starts with his Falcon family from Rockets. Two of these starts were with his Falcon -heavy vehicle, with the rest used to use the Falcon 9.

SpaceX has an advantage over Rocket Lab in its ability to lead more troubles with its rockets. The difference is amazing. Falcon 9 can wear up to 13,000 kilograms (approx. 28,600 pounds), while the electron carries up to £ 660. In the meantime, Falcon Heavy has a load capacity of more than £ 66,000, so that large payloads for large satellites or interplanetary missions can start.

Rocket Lab is working on his neutron rocket, which aims to close this gap and offer competitive payload capacities in the future. In view of its similar load -bearing capacity of £ 28,600, this carrier vehicle would compete directly with the Falcon 9. The larger carrier vehicle would also earn around $ 50 million to $ 55 million per start, which helps the company what the electron generates.

What’s next for Rocket Lab

In August, Rocket Lab fired its Archimedes engine (for his Neutron carrier car) for the first time in the Stennis Space Center of NASASI in Mississippi in Mississippi. CEO Peter Beck says the tests will keep it up to date to start the neutron by mid -2025.

A rocket laboratory starting vehicle. Image source: Rocket Lab USA.

The company continues to enjoy a strong demand from customers according to its starting services. At the beginning of February, it signed a contract with a Japanese earth-state base company, the Institute for Q-Shu pioneers of space, for three missions this year and another in 2026.

During the November win in November, it said that it had over 1 billion US dollars for future starts and showed a robust demand for its services. Investors receive an update of this number if the company announces the result during this month.

Is Rocket Lab USA a purchase today?

Rocket Lab’s share has become more expensive last year, which reflects investor optimism in terms of its growth and improvement in the start of the start and the view of higher margins from its neutron rocket.

The shares deals with a high rating of almost 38 times sales of 12 months, and business has not yet made any profit. Analyst projects that could contribute in 2025 earnings of $ 605 million, but do not expect that it achieved a positive result per share (EPS) by 2026. Even because of these estimates, Rocket Lab is dealing with 23 -times forward sales.

It makes solid progress and the neutron could be an important turning point for the space company. However, if the new start is pushed back or does not occur as expected, this can influence the sales time and lead to further volatility, especially at today’s prices of the share.

For this reason, Rocket Lab USA is best suited for aggressive, growth -oriented investors who want to expose themselves to space stocks and who do not make up the volatile journey if it builds up in its position in the emerging space economy.