Rocket Lab Corp. (NASDAQ:RKLB) stock rose more than 1% in Monday’s premarket trading as risk appetite improved alongside U.S. stock futures.

Nasdaq futures gained 0.94%, while S&P 500 futures rose 0.65%.

Rocket Lab Completes 96th Electron Mission

Separately, the company successfully launched its 96th Electron mission on Saturday, deploying an Earth-observation satellite for Synspective.

The "Owl By The Dozen" mission lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand on Sept. 19. Electron placed Synspective’s 12th StriX satellite into a 572-kilometer low Earth orbit.

The flight marked Rocket Lab’s 17th Electron launch of 2026 and extended its mission record with Synspective. Synspective uses synthetic aperture radar, or SAR, satellites for Earth monitoring.

The company has 15 more dedicated Electron missions scheduled for Synspective through the end of the decade. The launches will support the expansion of Synspective’s commercial SAR constellation.

Technical Analysis

RKLB traded just above its 20-day simple moving average of $64.98. However, the stock remained 6.4% below its 50-day SMA of $69.89 and 18.7% below its 200-day SMA of $80.48.

Momentum has started to improve. The MACD is above its signal line, while the histogram is positive. That suggests selling pressure may be easing.

Still, the longer-term setup remains weaker. The 20-day SMA is below the 50-day SMA. In addition, the 50-day average remains below the 200-day average after a "death cross" formed in August.

Resistance sits near $67.50, followed by the 50-day SMA. Support is near $58.50.

Rocket Lab Analyst Outlook

Rocket Lab carries a Buy consensus rating with an average price forecast of $110.14.

Raymond James initiated coverage with an Outperform rating and an $80 price target on Sept. 11. Bank of America maintained a Buy rating on Aug. 31 but lowered its target to $110. Citizens maintained a Market Outperform rating and a $130 target on Aug. 11.

Benzinga Edge Rankings

The stock has a Momentum score of 29.14 on the Benzinga Edge rankings.

The weak momentum score reflects the stock’s position below its key intermediate and long-term moving averages. A sustained move above $67.50 and toward the 50-day SMA could strengthen the technical setup.

Rocket Lab ETF Exposure

RKLB has a 3.67% weighting in the ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF (BATS:ARKQ), a 9.68% weighting in the Tema Space Innovators ETF (NYSE:NASA) and a 5.09% weighting in the ARK Space & Defense Innovation ETF (NASDAQ:ARKX).

Large flows into or out of these funds could therefore affect demand for RKLB shares.

Price Action

RKLB Price Action: Rocket Lab shares were up 1.18% at $65.33 in Monday’s premarket trading, according to Benzinga Pro.

Photo via Shutterstock