Rocket Lab (RKLB) Stock Rises 5% After Mynaric Acquisition Gets Regulatory Green Light

TLDR

• Rocket Lab received regulatory approval from Germany to acquire laser communications firm Mynaric AG
• The deal is expected to close in April 2026
• Stifel maintained its Buy rating and $90 price target on RKLB
• The acquisition secures supply for ~$1.3 billion in Space Development Agency contracts
• It gives Rocket Lab a foothold in Europe, opening access to ESA and European defense contracts

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Rocket Lab USA received regulatory approval from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy to acquire Mynaric AG, a specialist in optical laser communication technology for satellite networks. The deal is now expected to close in April 2026.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc., RKLB

The news sent RKLB up 5.4% in pre-market trading on Monday, March 31. The stock currently trades around $57.38, well below the average analyst price target of $89.36.

Stifel analyst Erik Rasmussen responded quickly, reiterating his Buy rating and $90 price target on the stock. That implies roughly 57% upside from current levels.

The acquisition isn’t just a geographic expansion play. It solves a real operational problem for Rocket Lab.

Mynaric makes optical inter-satellite link (OISL) terminals — the laser tech that lets satellites talk to each other in orbit. Bringing that capability in-house removes Rocket Lab’s dependence on an outside supplier for a component that’s central to two major contracts.

Locking In a Key Supplier

Those two contracts are with the U.S. Space Development Agency and are worth approximately $1.3 billion combined. Having Mynaric’s technology and production under its own roof gives Rocket Lab more control over delivery timelines and costs on those deals.

Rocket Lab also landed a separate $190 million contract for 20 hypersonic test flights with the U.S. Department of Defense earlier this quarter. That deal pushed its launch backlog past 70 missions.

Opening the European Door

The Mynaric deal also gives Rocket Lab its first real operational presence in Europe. That matters because European defense and space contracts often require a local footprint — something Rocket Lab didn’t have before.

With access now potentially opening to the European Space Agency and European defense procurement, the company has a new lane for revenue that was previously out of reach.

Rocket Lab’s balance sheet looks capable of handling the transaction. The company holds more cash than debt and carries a current ratio of 4.08.

RKLB has gained around 221% over the past 12 months. The stock currently sits well below analyst price targets, which range up to $120.

On TipRanks, the stock holds a Moderate Buy consensus based on nine Buy ratings and four Holds. The average price target of $89.36 points to roughly 56% upside from current trading levels.

Clear Street recently initiated coverage with a Buy rating, pointing to Rocket Lab’s vertically integrated model and the growth potential of its Neutron and Electron rocket programs.

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