Rocket Lab added to Nasdaq-100 index, shares surge

Rocket Lab USA secured a spot in the Nasdaq-100 index in the reshuffle that took effect on June 22. The inclusion places the space launch company alongside technology giants such as Nvidia, Apple and Microsoft, and is expected to drive passive‑investment demand from the more than $800 billion of assets tracking the index. Founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck called the move a “landmark moment” that validates the company’s growth from a small startup to a global space leader.

During the fourth quarter, several institutional investors increased their holdings in Rocket Lab. Nicholas Investment Partners LP raised its stake to 184,761 shares, while Clear Street Group boosted its position by 71.9% to 1,069,240 shares. Other investors, including Focus Partners Wealth, Entropy Technologies LP and Blue Jean Financial LLC, also added to their positions. Institutional ownership now totals about 71.8% of the company’s shares. The stock opened at $102.39 after the announcement and has been buoyed by the index inclusion.