Analyst raises Rocket Lab target as SDA contract and launch record boost prospects

Rocket Lab shares climbed after Stifel lifted its price target to $85 from $75 following the company’s largest contract win with the U.S. Space Development Agency to build 18 satellites under the Tracking Layer Tranche 3 program. The deal’s base value is about $806 million with options that could approach $1 billion. Rocket Lab also completed 21 successful Electron launches in 2025 and plans expanded global missions and the first Neutron rocket launch in early 2026.