Edmonton keeping eye out for ‘relentless killer' in tree canopy
In this Oct. 26, 2011 file photo, forester Jeff Wiegert, of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, removes emerald ash borer larvae from an ash tree at Esopus Bend Nature Preserve in Saugerties, N.Y. There are reports of a potential emerald ash borer beetle infestation in the Concord, N.H.-area. If the reports are confirmed, state officials will need to set up a quarantine to ensure infested ash trees, branches, logs, and firewood are contained. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)
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Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Is Rocket Lab USA Stock a Buy Now?
Over the past few decades, private companies have expanded the possibilities of space exploration and research. According to estimates from consultancy McKinsey, the space economy is projected to grow to $1.8 trillion by 2035. With such substantial growth ahead and innovation across the industry, the space economy is emerging as a potentially significant investment opportunity. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » While companies like SpaceX lead the way, they remain private. Alternatives like Rocket Lab USA (NASDAQ: RKLB) are making waves in the small-satellite launch market, and it is the second-most utilized launch provider in the U.S. The space company is expanding its services, including lunar exploration and satellite deployment, in response to increasing demand. Here's what investors should know about Rocket Lab and its long-term opportunity today. Second in space launches in the U.S. Rocket Lab USA, founded in 2017, has enjoyed strong demand for its services over the past several years. The company generated $436.2 million in revenue in 2024, representing a 78% increase from the previous year. Strong growth has been driven by increasing demand, as evidenced by its rising backlog of orders, which now stands at $1.1 billion. That sizable figure indicates strong demand and provides some visibility into its future revenue generation. The company anticipates recognizing about 56% of this backlog as revenue over the next year. Since its founding, Rocket Lab has completed 66 launch missions, including 16 in 2024, making it the No. 2 launch company in the U.S. However, it remains well behind SpaceX, which launched 132 rockets last year and has larger rockets and the ability to transport bigger payloads. Rocket Lab aims to close this gap with its Neutron rocket, which it expects to launch sometime this year. The rocket represents a significant development for Rocket Lab since it will allow transport of larger payloads -- nearly 40 times larger than its Electron launch vehicle. This capability is vital as demand for launching satellites and other cargo continues to grow. The larger rocket will also enable Rocket Lab to compete for larger contracts and achieve higher profits and margins per launch. Pursuing every part of the space value chain Besides its launch vehicles, Rocket Lab is carving out a niche in the space systems section of the broader space economy. For example, it acquired the German company Mynaric for $75 million. It provides laser optical- communications terminals for air, space, and mobile applications. By acquiring Mynaric, Rocket Lab can scale up production of optical communication terminals, which are crucial for satellite-to-satellite connectivity. The German company was already a subcontractor for Rocket Lab, and the integration will give it greater control over its supply chain, allowing it to operate more efficiently. CEO Peter Beck said that his company would pursue every part of the space value chain and that it was "closing in on the final step and most valuable part of the space economy: operating our own constellations to provide data and services from space." Rocket Lab's finances As an investor evaluating opportunities within the aerospace sector, it's crucial to analyze the current financial state of Rocket Lab. Delays in the launch of the Neutron rocket could hinder its near-term prospects and would likely weigh on the stock in the short term. Furthermore, the company is grappling with sizable operational losses, reflecting its high cash burn, which may be a red flag for conservative investors seeking stability. Last year, revenue was $436.2 million while the cost of revenue and operating expenses soared to $626 million. As a result, the company had an operating loss of $190 million. This trend continued in the first quarter, with an operating loss of $59 million on $122.5 million in revenue. RKLB Revenue (Quarterly) data by YCharts. Rocket Lab has expressed optimism about its path toward profitability. Analysts project the company could achieve positive cash flow by 2026 and earnings by 2027. Is Rocket Lab USA right for you? Rocket Lab's future is bright. Its backlog of orders is significant, and it has been included as part of the U.S. Space Force's $5.6 billion National Security Space Launch program. As part of this, Rocket Lab has been selected to compete for the Department of Defense's national security missions for its National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 program. If chosen, its success here could lead to stable and potentially lucrative contracts over the long term. As investors, we must strike a balance between risk and reward and understand what we are getting into. Rocket Lab USA is a fast-growing company in the emerging space economy. It is positioning itself not just as a launch company, but as one that also operates across the entire space value chain. Rocket Lab's current financials may deter those seeking steady, reliable returns. However, for growth-focused investors, today could be an opportunity to get in at ground level with a company in an industry expected to experience significant growth in the years to come. Should you invest $1,000 in Rocket Lab right now? Before you buy stock in Rocket Lab, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Rocket Lab wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $659,171!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $891,722!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is995% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to172%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025
Globe and Mail
18 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
NFL widows, caregivers say CTE study minimizes their pain
Dozens of widows and other caregivers for former NFL players diagnosed with CTE say a published study is insulting and dismissive of their experience living with the degenerative brain disease that has been linked to concussions and other repeated head trauma common in contact sports like football. An open letter signed by the players' wives, siblings and children says the study published in the May 6 issue of Frontiers in Psychology suggests their struggles caring for loved ones was due to 'media hype' about chronic traumatic encephalopathy, rather than the disease itself. The implication that 'caregiver concerns are 'inevitable' due to 'publicity' is callous, patronizing, and offensive,' they said. 'The burden we experienced did not happen because we are women unable to differentiate between our lived experience and stories from TV or newspaper reports,' they wrote in the letter. 'Our loved ones were giants in life, CTE robbed them of their futures, and robbed us of our futures with them. Please don't also rob us of our dignity.' The pushback was led by Dr. Eleanor Perfetto, herself a medical researcher and the widow of former Steelers and Chargers end Ralph Wenzel, who developed dementia and paranoia and lost his ability to speak, walk and eat. He was first diagnosed with cognitive impairment in 1999 — six years before Pittsburgh center Mike Webster's CTE diagnosis brought the disease into the mainstream media. 'My own experience, it just gave a name to what I witnessed every day. It didn't put it in my head,' Perfetto said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'It gave it a name. It didn't change the symptoms.' The study published last month asked 172 caregivers for current and former professional football players 'whether they believed their partner had 'CTE.'' Noting that all of the respondents were women, Perfetto questioned why their experiences would be minimized. 'Women run into that every day,' she said. 'I don't think that's the only factor. I think the motivation is to make it seem like this isn't a real issue. It's not a real disease. It's something that people glommed on to because they heard about it in the media.' Hopes for study 'quickly turned to disappointment' The letter was posted online on Monday under the headline, 'NFL Caregivers to Harvard Football Player Health Study: Stop Insulting Us!' It had more than 30 signatures, including family of Hall of Famers Nick Buoniconti and Louis Creekmur. It praises the study for examining the fallout on loved ones who weathered the violent mood swings, dementia and depression that can come with the disease. The letter says the study gets it wrong by including what it considers unsupported speculation, such as: 'Despite being an autopsy-based diagnosis, mainstream media presentations and high-profile cases related to those diagnosed postmortem with CTE may have raised concerns among living players about CTE.' The letter said these are 'insulting conclusions that were not backed by study evidence.' 'Rather than exploring the lived experiences of partners of former athletes, they instead implied the partners' anxiety was caused by watching the news ... as if the media is to blame for the severe brain atrophy caused by CTE in our loved ones,' they wrote. Study authors Rachel Grashow and Alicia Whittington said in a statement provided to the AP that the goal of their research is 'to support NFL families, especially those caring for affected players or grieving for lost loved ones.' 'We regret if any of our work suggested otherwise,' they said. 'Our intent was not to minimize CTE — a disease that is far too real — but to point out that heightened attention to this condition can intensify existing concerns, and that symptoms attributed to CTE may, in some cases, stem from other treatable conditions that also deserve recognition and care.' But Perfetto feared the study was part of a trend to downplay or even deny the risks of playing football. After years of denials, the NFL acknowledged in 2016 a link between football and CTE and eventually agreed to a settlement covering 20,000 retired players that provided up to $US4-million for those who died with the disease. (Because it requires an examination of the brain tissue, CTE currently can only be diagnosed posthumously.) 'Why would a researcher jump to 'the media' when trying to draw conclusions out of their data, when they didn't collect any information about the media,' Perfetto told the AP. 'To me, as a researcher, you draw the implications from the results and you try to think of, practically, 'Why you come to these conclusions? Why would you find these results?' Well, how convenient is it to say that it was the media, and it takes the NFL off the hook?' 'By players, for players' The caregivers study is under the umbrella of the Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, a multifaceted effort 'working on prevention, diagnostics, and treatment strategies for the most common and severe conditions affecting professional football players.' Although it is funded by the NFL Players Association, neither the union nor the league has any influence on the results or conclusions, the website says. 'The Football Players Health Study does not receive funding from the NFL and does not share any data with the NFL,' a spokesperson said. Previous research — involving a total of more than 4,700 ex-players — is on topics ranging from sleep problems to arthritis. But much of it has focused on brain injuries and CTE, which has been linked to contact sports, military combat and other activities that can involve repetitive head trauma. When he died with advanced CTE in 2012 at age 69, Wenzel could no longer recognize Perfetto and needed help with everyday tasks like getting dressed or getting out of bed — an added problem because he was a foot taller and 100 pounds heavier than she is. 'When he died, his brain had atrophied to 910 grams, about the size of the brain of a 1-year-old child,' the letter said. Former Auburn and San Diego Chargers running back Lionel 'Little Train' James, who set the NFL record for all-purpose yards in 1985, was diagnosed with dementia at 55 and CTE after he died at 59. 'Treatable conditions were not the reason Lionel went from being a loving husband and father to someone so easily agitated that his wife and children had to regularly restrain him from becoming violent after dodging thrown objects,' the letter said. 'They were not likely to be the driving force behind his treatment-resistant depression, which contributed to alcoholism, multiple stays in alcohol rehabilitation treatment centers, arrests, suicidal ideation, and ultimately, his commitment to a mental institution.' Kesha James told the AP that she would disable the car to keep her husband from driving drunk. She said she had never spoken of her struggles but chose to tell her story now to remove the stigma associated with the players' late-in-life behavior — and the real-life struggles of their caregivers. 'I have videos that people probably would not believe,' James said. 'And I'll be honest with you: It is nothing that I'm proud of. For the last three years I've been embarrassed. I'm just going public now because I do want to help bring awareness to this — without bringing any shame to me and my kids — but just raise the awareness so that no other family can experience what I did.'
Globe and Mail
19 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Is Increased Focus on Hypersonic Tech Opening New Doors for Rocket Lab?
In recent years, the rapid development and adoption of hypersonic technology across industries, from aerospace and defense to space exploration, have opened new growth avenues for Rocket Lab USA RKLB, a key player in hypersonic testing with its HASTE launch system. With commercial firms and government agencies ramping up investments in advanced hypersonic systems to bolster space access and national security, RKLB remains well-positioned to capitalize on this accelerating technological shift. Notably, Rocket Lab's HAEST (Hypersonic accelerator suborbital test electron) is a suborbital testbed launch vehicle that provides reliable, high-cadence flight test opportunities needed to boost hypersonic and suborbital system technology development. In April 2025, Rocket Lab secured a contract from Kratos Defense to conduct a full-scale hypersonic test flight for the U.S. Department of Defense. Additionally, RKLB's HASTE platform has been included in two major defense frameworks — the $46 billion Enterprise-Wide Agile Acquisition Contract with the U.S. Air Force and the UK Ministry of Defence's £1 billion ($1.3 billion) Hypersonic Technologies & Capability Development Framework. These programs allow Rocket Lab to compete for launch and engineering services in advancing hypersonic technologies. The inclusion across both U.S. and UK initiatives underscores the growing demand for HASTE in defense testing and is likely to significantly boost Rocket Lab's future revenue stream. While HASTE has not yet won any purely commercial contract, its demonstrated reliability and cadence in the defense sector may soon open doors to non-defense payload opportunities. Other Stocks Focusing on Hypersonic As increased investment in hypersonic technology has become a global trend lately, with nations like the United States, the United Kingdom, and China significantly boosting funding for research and development in this tech, other stocks like Lockheed Martin LMT and RTX Corp. RTX are also indulging in advanced hypersonic technology developments. Notably, Lockheed Martin has been developing highly advanced hypersonic technology for the past 60 years. To this end, the company is currently working in partnership with DARPA, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Navy to transition hypersonic concepts to operational reality. LMT's Conventional Prompt Strike is a hypersonic boost-glide missile currently under development, which boasts the capability to provide longer range, shorter flight times, and high survivability against enemy defenses. On the other hand, RTX is working across its business and domains to move advanced hypersonic capabilities from creation to testing and into the hands of warfighters at top speed. RTX is currently involved in the design of the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile, which leverages Northrop Grumman's scramjet propulsion to travel at more than five times the speed of sound and cover vast distances in minutes. The U.S. Air Force currently expects this missile to be operational by fiscal 2027. The Zacks Rundown for RKLB Shares of RKLB have surged 467.2% in the past year compared with the industry 's 40.9% growth. The company's shares are trading at a premium on a relative basis, with its forward 12-month Price/Sales being 17.85X compared with its industry's average of 9.65X. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RKLB's 2025 and 2026 earnings has improved over the past 60 days. RKLB currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Only $1 to See All Zacks' Buys and Sells We're not kidding. Several years ago, we shocked our members by offering them 30-day access to all our picks for the total sum of only $1. No obligation to spend another cent. Thousands have taken advantage of this opportunity. Thousands did not - they thought there must be a catch. Yes, we do have a reason. We want you to get acquainted with our portfolio services like Surprise Trader, Stocks Under $10, Technology Innovators, and more, that closed 256 positions with double- and triple-digit gains in 2024 alone. See Stocks Now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT): Free Stock Analysis Report Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB): Free Stock Analysis Report
