Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:RKLB) shares were trading around 4% higher Tuesday afternoon following Q1 earnings announcement, with EPS coming in at ($0.06), missing the consensus estimate of ($0.04). Revenue increased 124% year-over-year to $40.7 million, compared to the Street estimate of $27.48 million.
Analysts at Deutsche Bank view the quarterly results as somewhat messy due to weaker margins but believe Q2 will show meaningful improvement, still putting the company on track to be one of the few publicly listed New Space companies that could actually be profitable in a few years.
At the same time, its growth trajectory shows no signs of slowing down, with a backlog now at $551 million, compared to $241 million at the end of the previous quarter.
Moreover, with Russia’s Soyuz rockets no longer allowed to fly European missions, the launch market will grow increasingly tight through mid-decade and Neutron’s importance/ demand will become even greater, allowing for higher pricing/profitability.