Rocket Lab falls on earnings miss despite revenue beat

Rocket Lab Corp (NASDAQ: RKLB) reported a third quarter of 2026 that missed earnings expectations despite surpassing revenue estimates and raising guidance, resulting in a 3.8% drop in shares after hours. The company posted an adjusted loss of $0.12 per share, missing the analyst consensus of $0.07, while revenue reached a record $268 million, a 73% year-over-year increase.

Rocket Lab guided revenue for Q4 between $270 million and $290 million, with a midpoint of $280 million, above the analyst consensus of $265.5 million. The company's record backlog grew to $3.57 billion, up 52% from the second quarter, with nearly $1 billion from new launch contracts. Rocket Lab's CEO, Sir Peter Beck, highlighted the quarter's achievements, including securing over $515 million in Neutron launch contracts and achieving positive GAAP operating cash flow of $7.2 million.

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