Rocket Lab Stock Jumps 15%: Cathie Wood Bought the Dip Before Earnings

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) stock jumped 15.4% on Friday, November 6, 2026, closing at $53.07 — just days before its third-quarter earnings report on Monday, November 9, and one day after Cathie Wood's ARK Invest bought about $12.7 million of the shares during Thursday's market rout. The rebound made Rocket Lab one of Friday's standout space-stock movers, alongside even bigger gains at Firefly Aerospace and Karman Holdings.

What happened

Rocket Lab shares closed Friday at $53.07, up $7.08, or 15.39%, from Thursday's close of $45.99. The stock opened at $48.28, traded as low as $46.51 and as high as $53.10, and about 20.5 million shares changed hands. It added a little more after the bell, trading around $53.57 in after-hours dealings.

The jump reversed much of Thursday's damage. Rocket Lab had tumbled about 12% on Thursday as high-growth and technology stocks sold off sharply after the US midterm elections, with no company-specific news behind that fall. Friday's broader market was calmer — the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.09% — and space and defense names rallied hard as a group, with guided-missile and space-vehicle stocks among the day's strongest sectors.

Why it's blowing up

The headline catalyst was who was buying during the selloff. According to ARK Invest's daily fund disclosures, reported by TipRanks and others, Cathie Wood's funds bought 276,925 Rocket Lab shares on Thursday, worth about $12.7 million, while selling about 412,666 CoreWeave shares valued at roughly $18 million. ARK also bought heavily into other beaten-down names that day, including Nvidia and SpaceX. Late Friday, reports of ARK's latest daily trades said the firm added to its Rocket Lab position again through its ARKX space fund, alongside AeroVironment, Joby Aviation and Intuitive Machines.

Timing is the other half of the story. Rocket Lab reports third-quarter results after the close on Monday, November 9, so Friday's buyers were positioning ahead of a report that will test whether the company's rapid growth survived a difficult few months. Options-market data cited in Friday coverage also pointed to expectations of a post-earnings move, adding to the pre-report buzz.

Key facts

The growth guide is high. Management has guided third-quarter revenue to $250 million to $265 million, which would be 61% to 71% above the $155 million reported a year earlier. Wall Street consensus sits near $257 million, with an expected loss of about $0.07 per share.

The second quarter set records. Rocket Lab posted record revenue of $234.1 million in the second quarter, up 62% year over year, and a record backlog of $2.36 billion. Its Space Systems business — satellites and spacecraft components — now brings in far more revenue than its launch services.

The stock is still far below its peak. Even after Friday's jump, Rocket Lab sits roughly 70% below its record close of $150.23 on May 27, 2026, and below both its 50-day average of $62.85 and its 200-day average of $79.13. Analyst price targets still average about $102, according to StockAnalysis data.

Neutron is the big question mark. In mid-October, Rocket Lab pushed the first launch of Neutron, its reusable medium-lift rocket, into 2027 after inspections found defects in a first-stage tank dome. The company has not named a new date and expects to choose one after testing that runs into the first quarter of 2027.

What's next

Monday's earnings report is the next catalyst. Investors will compare revenue against the $250 million to $265 million guide, check gross margin against the guided 29% to 31% GAAP range, and look at the adjusted EBITDA loss, guided at $17 million to $23 million. Any update on Neutron testing, the backlog, or the pending Iridium acquisition will also move the story. This article reports what happened and why markets reacted; it is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security.

Sources

The Markets Daily — Rocket Lab shares climb 15.4%
StockAnalysis — Rocket Lab (RKLB) price and statistics
TipRanks — Cathie Wood buys $12.7M of Rocket Lab, sells CoreWeave
TipRanks — Rocket Lab earnings preview
Motley Fool — Rocket Lab stock has lost about 70% from its record

FAQ

Why did Rocket Lab stock jump 15% on Friday?

Rocket Lab rebounded from Thursday's roughly 12% selloff as space stocks rallied, and Cathie Wood's ARK Invest disclosed it had bought about $12.7 million of shares during the dip, days before Monday's earnings report.

When does Rocket Lab report earnings?

Rocket Lab reports third-quarter 2026 results after the market close on Monday, November 9, 2026.

What has Rocket Lab guided for the third quarter?

The company guided revenue to $250 million to $265 million, up 61% to 71% year over year, with GAAP gross margin of 29% to 31% and an adjusted EBITDA loss of $17 million to $23 million.

Why is Rocket Lab stock still down so much this year?

The shares are roughly 70% below their May 2026 record close, after the Neutron rocket's first launch was delayed to 2027 and growth stocks sold off sharply, most recently after the US midterm elections.