Clevenger Marvin Bradford sold $1.0M of RKLB

Redwire (RDW), Rocket Lab (RKLB), and Firefly (FLY) are among 15 vendors selected for a $981 million Space Force contract for test and training tools through 2036. The contract has no guaranteed revenue split, and funds will be allocated via task orders. All three companies saw stock declines post-SpaceX's market debut.

ARK Invest, led by Cathie Wood, reduced its holdings in Alphabet (GOOGL) while increasing its stake in Rocket Lab (RKLB). As of July 31, 2026, ARKK held $118.5 million in GOOG and $27.0 million in GOOGL. Rocket Lab reported Q2 2026 revenue of $234.07 million, up 62% year over year, and announced plans to acquire Iridium Communications. Alphabet reported Q2 2026 revenue of $119.80 billion, up 24.23% year over year.

Redwire (RDW) and Rocket Lab (RKLB) are positioned to benefit from the growing space industry. Redwire focuses on space infrastructure and defense tech, while Rocket Lab expands into rockets, satellites, and defense contracts. Both companies aim to double by 2027, driven by government and commercial space investments.

Global venture capital investment in space technology companies reached $23 billion in the year ending June 2026, a 140% increase. SpaceX's (SPCX) IPO raised $85.7 billion, boosting sector liquidity. Late-stage deals grew 123% YoY, with average deal sizes increasing. M&A activity quadrupled, with notable acquisitions by Rocket Lab (RKLB) and Amazon. North America led investments, but Asia is narrowing the gap. Retail sentiment varies, with SPCX neutral, RKLB and LUNR bullish.

Rocket Lab (RKLB) CEO Peter Beck highlighted the value of Iridium's (IRDM) spectrum in an interview, comparing it to investments by SpaceX and Amazon. RKLB stock rose 3% to $71.98. Beck estimated Rocket Lab could have built Iridium's constellation for $350M, much less than Iridium's $3B estimate. Shareholders will vote on the merger Thursday. Rocket Lab also secured $1.944B for the acquisition. Additionally, RKLB is working on a Space Force project with a $397M contract.

Rocket Lab shares rose 2% on defense awards, satellite work, and financing for its Iridium acquisition. The company secured $1.94B via share sale, replacing a $3.6B debt facility. It won $190M and $266M contracts from the U.S. government and Viasat. Raymond James initiated coverage with an $80 price target, expecting positive EBITDA and free cash flow by 2027-2028.