Rocket Lab shares fell roughly 8% in pre-market trading after the company missed earnings expectations and issued weaker-than-expected margin guidance. The space technology firm reported a loss of $0.08 per share versus the anticipated $0.06 per share loss. The company forecast GAAP gross margins of 29% to 31%, well below the 37.6% analysts expected. The lower outlook reflects increased contributions from lower-margin satellite sales and integration costs from recent acquisitions of Mynaric and Motiv. Revenue reached €234.06 million, up 62% and beating forecasts. Backlog surged 137% to €2.36 billion, driven largely by the Space Systems division. Adjusted EBITDA loss of €8.8 million came in better than the expected €20 million to €26 million loss. Rocket Lab projects third-quarter revenue of $250 million to $265 million, above the $237 million consensus estimate.

Rocket Lab has established Rocket Lab Germany GmbH to expand its manufacturing capabilities and deliver sovereign space solutions to Europe. The company plans to scale satellite and component production in Germany, building on its acquisition of Munich-based Mynaric AG, which produces laser optical communications terminals. Rocket Lab Germany will pursue opportunities to establish satellite, payload, and components manufacturing, creating a regional hub for constellation-class production. The expansion addresses Europe's growing demand for strategic autonomy in space, with thousands of satellites expected to be deployed for commercial, defence, and national security purposes over the next decade. The company will also provide launch services through its Electron and Neutron vehicles, ensuring European programmes have reliable access to space. Founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck said Europe faces significant gaps in both launch and spacecraft manufacturing capabilities.

Rocket Lab and AST SpaceMobile shares rose in premarket trading Monday ahead of quarterly earnings releases. Rocket Lab gained 2.4% whilst AST SpaceMobile added 0.6%. Both stocks posted strong gains last week, with Rocket Lab climbing 27.5% and AST SpaceMobile rising 22%. The rally followed SpaceX's first earnings report since going public, which showed revenue nearly doubled year-over-year to $7.8 billion for the April-June quarter, compared with $4.1 billion the previous year. Starlink revenue, accounting for over half of SpaceX's total, rose 66%. The company's artificial intelligence business revenue surged approximately 250%. Retail trader sentiment on Stocktwits was bullish for both companies ahead of their results. AST SpaceMobile secured roughly $900 million in Japanese government support, whilst Rocket Lab attracted investor attention for its consistent execution.