LIVE
PL
Planet Labs PBC · Technology
$28.23
-32.12% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
RKLB
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. · Industrials
$107.24
-15.76% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
PL
2
RKLB
2
Comparison scoreboard
MIXED SETUPAI Score
PL 48.2
RKLB ✓59.6
1Y Return
PL ✓+452.45%
RKLB +285.06%
Fwd P/E
PL 8477.48
RKLB ✓-6103.59
Target Up.
PL ✓+40.98%
RKLB -0.30%
Op. Margin
PL N/A
RKLB N/A
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
PL vs RKLB Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Planet Labs and Rocket Lab are both commercial space companies but in very different parts of the space value chain. Planet Labs is a data company that happens to use satellites; Rocket Lab is a launch and spacecraft manufacturing company. PL has more recurring revenue; RKLB has broader space value chain exposure with significant Neutron rocket optionality.
Planet Labs suits investors who want recurring space data subscription revenue; Rocket Lab suits those who want to own launch infrastructure plus spacecraft manufacturing with significant upside from the Neutron medium rocket program.
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
PL and RKLB are closely matched — they split the tracked metrics evenly. PL has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+452.45% vs +285.06%), though RKLB trades at the lower forward P/E (-6103.59x vs 8477.48x). Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for PL (+40.98%) than for RKLB (-0.30%).
Normalized 1Y performance
PL
RKLB
Recent returns
PL
RKLB
Analyst price targets & sentiment
PL · 10 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (2.0/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$22.00
analyst high$53.00
analyst mean$39.80
current price$28.23
+41.0% upside to analyst mean
RKLB · 18 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (1.6/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$60.00
analyst high$150.00
analyst mean$106.92
current price$107.24
-0.3% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
PL may suit investors who:
- →want recurring subscription data revenue from a proven commercial space data company
- →value government and enterprise earth observation demand as a stable revenue base
- →prefer a further-commercialized space business over an earlier-stage launch operator
- →are comfortable with current cash burn while waiting for the ARR-based path to profitability
RKLB may suit investors who:
- →want exposure to launch services, spacecraft manufacturing, and space infrastructure
- →believe Neutron medium rocket will capture significant commercial and government launch market share
- →value diversification across multiple space value chain segments (launch, components, spacecraft)
- →are comfortable with development program risk and longer capital return timelines
Performance & AI score
| Metric | PL | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 48.2 | 59.6 |
| AI rank | #570 | #170 |
| Latest close | $28.23 | $107.24 |
| 1M return | -32.12% | -15.76% |
| 6M return | +71.40% | +98.74% |
| 1Y return | +452.45% | +285.06% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | PL | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $55.24K (+452.4%) started 2025-06-18 | $38.51K (+285.1%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $28.57K (+185.7%) started 2021-06-18 | $103.12K (+931.2%) started 2021-06-18 |
| 10Y ago | $28.52K (+185.2%) started 2021-04-26 | $110.06K (+1000.6%) started 2020-11-24 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | PL | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $10.06B | $67.01B |
| Trailing P/E | N/A | N/A |
| Forward P/E | 8477.48 | -6103.59 |
| Price/Sales | 29.98 | 98.60 |
| EV/Revenue | 29.23 | 87.28 |
| Analyst target | $39.80 | $106.92 |
| Target upside | +40.98% | -0.30% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | PL | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 42.10% | 63.50% |
| Earnings growth | N/A | N/A |
| EPS growth | N/A | N/A |
| FCF margin | +25.28% | -31.64% |
| Operating margin | N/A | N/A |
| Profit margin | -111.17% | -26.87% |
| ROIC proxy | -83.98% | -13.55% |
| Return on equity | -83.98% | -13.55% |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Beta | 2.00 | 2.50 |
| Debt/equity | 109.99 | 6.12 |
| Current ratio | 2.81 | 4.47 |
| Quick ratio | 2.62 | 3.87 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
PL max drawdown45.12%
RKLB max drawdown43.01%
PL max wkly drop37.00%
RKLB max wkly drop23.65%
5Y risk snapshot
PL max drawdown85.73%
RKLB max drawdown82.96%
PL max wkly drop41.06%
RKLB max wkly drop26.89%
10Y risk snapshot
PL max drawdown85.73%
RKLB max drawdown82.96%
PL max wkly drop41.06%
RKLB max wkly drop26.89%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | PL | RKLB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +452.45% | +285.06% |
| CAGR | +453.09% | +285.42% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 2.11 | 1.87 | |
| Max drawdown | 45.12% | 43.01% | |
| Max daily drop | 25.98% | 14.70% | |
| Max wkly drop | 37.00% | 23.65% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +185.73% | +931.15% |
| CAGR | +23.37% | +59.47% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.60 | 0.92 | |
| Max drawdown | 85.73% | 82.96% | |
| Max daily drop | 30.41% | 17.60% | |
| Max wkly drop | 41.06% | 26.89% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +185.15% | +1000.57% |
| CAGR | +22.59% | +53.90% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.59 | 0.87 | |
| Max drawdown | 85.73% | 82.96% | |
| Max daily drop | 30.41% | 17.60% | |
| Max wkly drop | 41.06% | 26.89% |
Business comparison
| Category | PL | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Planet Labs PBC | Rocket Lab USA, Inc. |
| Sector | Technology | Industrials |
| Industry | N/A | N/A |
| Core business | Planet Labs provides subscription-based earth observation data and analytics from its 200+ satellite constellation. Government and commercial customers pay recurring fees for access to daily global imagery and derived data products. | Rocket Lab is the second most frequently launching orbital rocket company globally (after SpaceX), operating the Electron small launch vehicle and developing the medium-heavy Neutron rocket. It has diversified beyond launch into space systems — spacecraft manufacturing, satellite components, and mission services. Revenue comes from Electron launches, spacecraft manufacturing, and space systems components. |
| Investor focus | Investors track ARR growth, government contract pipeline, analytics product adoption (higher margin than raw data), and the path to profitability. | Investors track Electron launch cadence and ASP, Neutron rocket development milestones, space systems revenue growth, and the overall backlog as an indicator of future revenue visibility. |
PL strengths
- →Proven subscription revenue model with government and commercial customers across multiple verticals
- →World's largest commercial earth observation constellation providing a scale moat
- →Analytics products add margin and switching cost on top of raw imagery
RKLB strengths
- →Second-largest orbital launch company globally with a proven commercial track record
- →Space systems manufacturing revenue provides recurring business beyond launch services
- →Neutron medium rocket development could open a significantly larger payload market
Risks to watch — PL
- →Ongoing dilution as the company raises capital to fund operations before profitability
- →Commercial earth observation market faces new competitors with better-funded constellations
- →Government contract timing uncertainty can cause revenue lumpiness
Risks to watch — RKLB
- →Neutron development is capital intensive with meaningful execution and timeline risk
- →Launch services market is competitive — SpaceX dominates and ULA, Arianespace, and new entrants compete
- →Profitability requires Neutron success and continued space systems scale
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