Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

With most of 2026 in the books, investors are beginning to look ahead to what's coming next year for the stocks in their portfolios or the companies they've been thinking about adding to them. For many, one of those may be Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX -2.80%), as it was one of the most highly anticipated public offerings of the year and drew plenty of interest on its June 12 debut.

Let's look at a base case and a bear case to see what $10,000 invested in SpaceX today might be worth by the end of 2027.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

The base case for SpaceX To stay on the more conservative side of where SpaceX could trade, we'll use the median one-year price target and the lowest price target from analysts as a baseline. Giving the stock until the end of December 2027 rather than mid-October 2027 to reach those price targets can help keep expectations reasonable.

Analysts are generally bullish on the stock. According to CNN, of the 46 who cover SpaceX, 76% rate it a buy, 15% a hold, and 9% a sell. Within that group, the median one-year price target is $217, which we can use as a conservative estimate of where the stock might trade around by December 2027.

Today's Change

(

-2.80

%) $

-4.38

Current Price

$

152.16

If an investor made a $10,000 investment in SpaceX at the Oct. 12 closing price of $163.42, through fractional investing, that would yield over 61 shares. If SpaceX were to reach $217 per share, that $10,000 investment would grow to a stake worth approximately $13,278. For the stock price to get there, SpaceX would likely need to show continued progress in growing revenues through its space, connectivity, and artificial intelligence (AI) divisions. Its top line totaled $7.8 billion in the second quarter of 2026, a 92% increase from the prior-year period.

It could also show continued progress in generating revenue from renting out excess AI compute capacity from its data centers. SpaceX currently has cloud deals with Anthropic, Alphabet, and Reflection AI. Combined, the deals with Alphabet and Anthropic could be worth $26 billion annually. In comparison, the Reflection AI deal is worth $150 million per month and could be worth $6.3 billion in total if the deal runs through to its 2029 endpoint.

The bear case Among the analysts covering SpaceX, the lowest has a 12-month price target of just $75 on the stock. If it were to hit that price, a $10,000 investment made today would shrink by more than half to approximately $4,589.

There are a couple of obvious broad scenarios that could result in that type of drop. One would involve a general market sell-off, and another would be a more focused sell-off in AI stocks. But there are a few more company-specific risks, such as worries about its heavy spending and its lack of profitability. In the second quarter of 2026, SpaceX's capital expenditures climbed to $18.4 billion compared to $2.8 billion in the prior-year period. Meanwhile, the company delivered a loss of $541 million. While that was better than the $1 billion in losses that it reported in the prior-year period, SpaceX remains unprofitable.

What to consider next Price targets aren't guarantees, but they can aid people in making their investing decisions by offering a framework for gauging if the risk is worth the potential reward. And that risk-vs.-reward balance for SpaceX looks favorable over the next year. But the stock price could just as easily keep hovering in the range where it's trading now or sink back below its IPO price again.

For the company to accomplish its goals, such as deploying a constellation of AI data center satellites in Earth orbit, it will take more time. If SpaceX executes on those endeavors, stock price appreciation can follow, but the most meaningful gains under that circumstance will accrue to those with long-term investment horizons.

Sax Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX – Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 15,368 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,318,000.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Syntax Research Inc. acquired a new position in SpaceX during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Atwood & Palmer Inc. bought a new position in SpaceX in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. PayPay Securities Corp bought a new position in SpaceX in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of SpaceX in the second quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Hickory Point Bank & Trust bought a new position in SpaceX in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000.

SpaceX Stock Down 4.2% Shares of SpaceX stock opened at $156.54 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $146.63. SpaceX has a fifty-two week low of $104.83 and a fifty-two week high of $225.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.06 trillion and a price-to-earnings ratio of -1,739.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 4.99 and a current ratio of 5.12.

SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.09) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $7.81 billion for the quarter. The firm’s revenue was up 91.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that SpaceX will post 0.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Trending Headlines about SpaceX Here are the key news stories impacting SpaceX this week:

Positive Sentiment: SpaceX’s proposed acquisition of nationwide low-band spectrum could provide the foundation for Starlink Mobile, expanding the company beyond satellite internet into direct wireless services. Analysts see significant long-term revenue potential, although the strategy requires substantial investment. Space Exploration Technologies Eyes Telecom Reach Positive Sentiment: A successful recent Starship orbital milestone and a new Falcon 9 cargo launch highlight SpaceX’s operating progress. The company is seeking approval to eventually conduct as many as 456 Starship launches annually, which could materially increase launch capacity if regulators approve the plan. Why the Starship Launch Is a Big Deal Positive Sentiment: Investors remain focused on growth opportunities including Terafab, a planned Texas chip complex intended to supply custom processors for SpaceX’s orbital data centers and AI systems. Several analysts maintain bullish ratings and see substantial upside if Starship, Starlink and AI initiatives scale successfully. What Is SpaceX Building With Its New Texas Chip Complex? Neutral Sentiment: The broader space investment market is projected to exceed $100 billion in 2026, partly because SpaceX’s IPO and launch-capacity constraints are attracting capital to competing rocket and satellite businesses. This supports industry demand but does not directly resolve SpaceX’s execution challenges. Space Investment to Top $100 Billion Negative Sentiment: SpaceX reportedly plans to raise approximately $40 billion in new debt to fund Nvidia chips and its AI build-out. Reports that borrowing costs and the cost of insuring against default are rising have increased concerns about leverage, cash burn and future dilution or financing requirements. Bond Investors Are Wary of SpaceX’s Borrowing Binge Negative Sentiment: The FAA has begun an environmental review of the proposed South Texas expansion. Approval could enable a dramatic increase in Starship activity, but the review introduces regulatory uncertainty and potential delays. FAA Begins Environmental Review Negative Sentiment: SpaceX also agreed to testify before the New York City Council after receiving a subpoena in an AI-safety investigation. The proceeding adds headline and reputational risk as the company expands into AI. SpaceX Agrees to Testify About AI Safety Negative Sentiment: Some analysts question whether the spectrum purchase and wireless ambitions are being priced too aggressively, particularly given SpaceX’s current losses and the technical limitations of satellite capacity in dense urban markets. Insider Buying and Selling In other SpaceX news, COO Gwynne Shotwell sold 342,170 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.57, for a total value of $52,547,046.90. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 2,472,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $379,630,414.95. This represents a 12.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of analysts have commented on SPCX shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $235.00 price target on shares of SpaceX in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on shares of SpaceX from $156.00 to $140.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Weiss Ratings assumed coverage on shares of SpaceX in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. They issued a “sell (d)” rating for the company. DZ Bank assumed coverage on shares of SpaceX in a research note on Friday, August 21st. They set a “sell” rating and a $100.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of SpaceX in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $220.06.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on SPCX

SpaceX Profile (Free Report)

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is a privately held aerospace company founded in 2002 by Elon Musk. The company develops and operates launch vehicles, spacecraft and satellite systems designed to reduce the cost of access to space and support commercial, government and scientific missions.

SpaceX’s primary products and services include the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles, the Dragon spacecraft and the Starlink satellite internet network. The company also is developing Starship, a fully reusable launch and spacecraft system intended for missions to Earth orbit, the Moon and Mars.

See Also Five stocks we like better than SpaceX A Chinese Rival Just Spooked Memory Stocks—How Worried Should Micron Investors Be? Could T-Mobile’s Satellite Competition Fears Create a Buying Opportunity? Surgical Precision, Sustainable Returns: Johnson & Johnson Secures Its Cash Flow Runway Tesla’s Robotaxi Lands in Paris—But Europe’s Real Fight Is Over Cheap EVs Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SPCX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX – Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for SpaceX Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SpaceX and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

Krilogy Financial LLC boosted its holdings in SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX – Free Report) by 12,994.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 800,999 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 794,882 shares during the quarter. SpaceX makes up about 3.5% of Krilogy Financial LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Krilogy Financial LLC’s holdings in SpaceX were worth $130,899,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Syntax Research Inc. bought a new position in shares of SpaceX during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Atwood & Palmer Inc. bought a new position in SpaceX in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. PayPay Securities Corp bought a new position in shares of SpaceX in the second quarter worth $30,000. Hickory Point Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in SpaceX in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Marquette Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of SpaceX during the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000.

Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, COO Gwynne Shotwell sold 342,170 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.57, for a total transaction of $52,547,046.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 2,472,035 shares in the company, valued at $379,630,414.95. This trade represents a 12.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Analyst Ratings Changes SPCX has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “buy” rating on shares of SpaceX in a report on Monday, September 28th. Benchmark started coverage on SpaceX in a report on Monday, June 22nd. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. KGI Securities lowered shares of SpaceX from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on SpaceX from $215.00 to $212.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. Finally, Evercore initiated coverage on shares of SpaceX in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $230.00 price target for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $220.06. Get Our Latest Stock Report on SpaceX

SpaceX Price Performance Shares of SPCX opened at $156.54 on Wednesday. SpaceX has a one year low of $104.83 and a one year high of $225.64. The company has a quick ratio of 4.99, a current ratio of 5.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company has a market cap of $2.06 trillion and a P/E ratio of -1,739.33. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $146.63.

SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.09) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.17. The company had revenue of $7.81 billion for the quarter. The firm’s revenue was up 91.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that SpaceX will post 0.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Key SpaceX News Here are the key news stories impacting SpaceX this week:

Positive Sentiment: SpaceX’s proposed acquisition of nationwide low-band spectrum could provide the foundation for Starlink Mobile, expanding the company beyond satellite internet into direct wireless services. Analysts see significant long-term revenue potential, although the strategy requires substantial investment. Space Exploration Technologies Eyes Telecom Reach Positive Sentiment: A successful recent Starship orbital milestone and a new Falcon 9 cargo launch highlight SpaceX’s operating progress. The company is seeking approval to eventually conduct as many as 456 Starship launches annually, which could materially increase launch capacity if regulators approve the plan. Why the Starship Launch Is a Big Deal Positive Sentiment: Investors remain focused on growth opportunities including Terafab, a planned Texas chip complex intended to supply custom processors for SpaceX’s orbital data centers and AI systems. Several analysts maintain bullish ratings and see substantial upside if Starship, Starlink and AI initiatives scale successfully. What Is SpaceX Building With Its New Texas Chip Complex? Neutral Sentiment: The broader space investment market is projected to exceed $100 billion in 2026, partly because SpaceX’s IPO and launch-capacity constraints are attracting capital to competing rocket and satellite businesses. This supports industry demand but does not directly resolve SpaceX’s execution challenges. Space Investment to Top $100 Billion Negative Sentiment: SpaceX reportedly plans to raise approximately $40 billion in new debt to fund Nvidia chips and its AI build-out. Reports that borrowing costs and the cost of insuring against default are rising have increased concerns about leverage, cash burn and future dilution or financing requirements. Bond Investors Are Wary of SpaceX’s Borrowing Binge Negative Sentiment: The FAA has begun an environmental review of the proposed South Texas expansion. Approval could enable a dramatic increase in Starship activity, but the review introduces regulatory uncertainty and potential delays. FAA Begins Environmental Review Negative Sentiment: SpaceX also agreed to testify before the New York City Council after receiving a subpoena in an AI-safety investigation. The proceeding adds headline and reputational risk as the company expands into AI. SpaceX Agrees to Testify About AI Safety Negative Sentiment: Some analysts question whether the spectrum purchase and wireless ambitions are being priced too aggressively, particularly given SpaceX’s current losses and the technical limitations of satellite capacity in dense urban markets. SpaceX Company Profile (Free Report)

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is a privately held aerospace company founded in 2002 by Elon Musk. The company develops and operates launch vehicles, spacecraft and satellite systems designed to reduce the cost of access to space and support commercial, government and scientific missions.

SpaceX’s primary products and services include the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles, the Dragon spacecraft and the Starlink satellite internet network. The company also is developing Starship, a fully reusable launch and spacecraft system intended for missions to Earth orbit, the Moon and Mars.

Read More Five stocks we like better than SpaceX A Chinese Rival Just Spooked Memory Stocks—How Worried Should Micron Investors Be? Could T-Mobile’s Satellite Competition Fears Create a Buying Opportunity? Surgical Precision, Sustainable Returns: Johnson & Johnson Secures Its Cash Flow Runway Tesla’s Robotaxi Lands in Paris—But Europe’s Real Fight Is Over Cheap EVs Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SPCX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX – Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for SpaceX Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SpaceX and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) gave millions of people a reason to look up on Tuesday morning, as a Falcon 9 launch created a glowing "space jellyfish" across the East Coast.

Investors, however, had a different view of the company’s prospects: SpaceX shares fell more than 4% that day, showing how little a spectacular launch alone tells investors about the stock.

A Spectacle in the SkyAt 6:33 a.m. EDT on Oct. 13, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying more than 6,300 pounds of supplies, hardware and scientific experiments to the International Space Station. The mission marked the company’s 35th commercial resupply flight for NASA.

The launch also produced a striking visual effect. Because the rocket rose shortly before sunrise, sunlight illuminated its expanding exhaust plume high above the Earth while much of the ground remained dark. The result was a glowing, jellyfish-shaped cloud visible across parts of the Eastern Seaboard.

The mission was a reminder of the operational business underpinning SpaceX: launching cargo, supporting NASA and maintaining a regular cadence of spaceflight. But the stock market was not trading the spectacle alone.

SPCX Stock Went the Other WaySpaceX shares closed Tuesday at $156.54, down 4.21%. The stock opened at $161.98 and finished near the session’s low, despite the attention surrounding the launch.

That does not mean the mission hurt the stock — or that investors ignored it entirely. There is no clear evidence that the launch itself drove the share-price decline. Instead, investors were weighing developments elsewhere in the business.

SpaceX’s shares faced pressure as AI-related stocks sold off, with concerns about Chinese competition in memory chips spilling into the broader AI trade. The company also agreed to testify before New York City’s technology committee as part of an investigation into AI safety, adding another headline for investors to assess.

Read Next

What Actually Moves SpaceX Stock?The contrast highlights a key distinction for investors: SpaceX’s launch record is evidence of execution, but its valuation also reflects expectations for businesses extending beyond rockets, including Starlink and AI infrastructure.

A successful cargo mission reinforces SpaceX’s role as a major launch provider. It does not, by itself, answer questions about the returns on AI spending, future capital requirements or the company’s ability to justify its market valuation.

For SPCX investors, the more useful signal is whether SpaceX can turn its technical achievements into sustainable financial returns. Tuesday’s launch delivered its cargo toward orbit and a memorable light show for observers below. The stock’s decline showed that, on that particular day, investors had bigger questions on their minds.

SPCX Stock Price Activity: SpaceX shares are trading lower by 1.18% at $154.69 at the time of publication on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Read Next

Photo Courtesy: Rawpixel.com on Shutterstock.com

© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Nearly 2.3 billion SpaceX’s (NASDAQ: SPCX) shares held by employees and early investors have become eligible for trading since early August through a series of unlocks. As the company has continued to advance as new shares became eligible for trade, we asked ChatGPT to predict SpaceX stock price after the upcoming October 24 unlock event.

According to the chatbot, SpaceX shares will likely face renewed selling pressure after the October 24 lockup expiration, with a base-case forecast pointing to a price range of $145 to $155 in the first trading sessions following the unlock. The figure suggests a downside of anywhere between 1% and 7.4% from the last closing price of $156.54. 

In a more bullish scenario, the stock could land in the $155-$170 zone, which implies an upside of up to 8.6%. Conversely, a bearish development would send the shares back to somewhere between $130 and $145, which would be a decline of up to 16.9%.

ChatGPT sets SpaceX stock price on October 24. Source: Finbold and ChatGPT
Approximately 328.4 million shares are reportedly set to become eligible for sale on October 24, potentially adding to the supply available on the market. By comparison, the company sold 639 million shares during its June initial public offering (IPO).

However, the unlock does not automatically mean that all eligible shares will be sold. The actual market impact will depend on how many employees and early investors decide to cash out, how much demand is available to absorb the additional supply, and whether traders have already priced in the event.

Historically, though, SpaceX shares have overall climbed despite the substantial increase in potential supply. Indeed, the current price of $156.54 is 45% higher than $108 recorded on August 5, the day before the first major release. Of course, numbers alone are not sufficient to predict another rally by October 24, as August 5 also followed the company’s first earnings report, after which shares fell nearly 15%. 

SPCX stock price since the first unlock. Source: Google Finance
The first and largest release occurred on August 6, when up to 911.5 million shares became eligible for trading. SpaceX stock gained approximately 6% that day. However, two subsequent releases of up to 319 million shares on August 20 and September 9 each coincided with declines of roughly 4%.

A smaller batch of up to 59.1 million shares held by company affiliates became eligible on September 10. This was followed by releases of up to 328.4 million shares on September 24 and October 9. The stock gained around 0.5% on the first, slipped 0.2% on the second, and advanced roughly 1% on the third date.

Featured image via Shutterstock

Best Crypto Exchange for Intermediate Traders and Investors

Invest in cryptocurrencies and 3,000+ other assets including stocks and precious metals.

0% commission on stocks - buy in bulk or just a fraction from as little as $10. Other fees apply. For more information, visit etoro.com/trading/fees.

Copy top-performing traders in real time, automatically.

eToro USA is registered with FINRA for securities trading.

30+ million
Users worldwide

Securities trading offered by eToro USA Securities, Inc. (“the BD”), member of FINRA and SIPC. Cryptocurrency offered by eToro USA LLC (“the MSB”) (NMLS: 1769299) and is not FDIC or SIPC insured. Investing involves risk, and content is provided for educational purposes only, does not imply a recommendation, and is not a guarantee of future performance. Finbold.com is not an affiliate and may be compensated if you access certain products or services offered by the MSB and/or the BD

Join Finbold's newsroom, become a Sales Executive today!

Apply now to join Finbold as a crypto/finance news writer!

Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX -1.81%) is getting its mojo back. After dropping to a low of $104.83 per share, the stock has roared back and, as of this writing, is trading at about $173 per share, well above its $150 debut price. But could there be even more upside ahead for the rocket company? Yes, or at least, that's what several Wall Street analysts believe. Let's look into one recent bullish call that sent SpaceX soaring.

Image source: The Motley Fool. Image source: The Motley Fool.

Shooting for the moonSpaceX's price-to-sales ratio is currently 68.5, and it is trading at 200x forward earnings. That doesn't seem like a cheap stock, at least at first glance. However, these metrics, as useful as they are, do not account for expected growth. And once we factor that in, SpaceX's shares appear cheap, or at least, that's what Adam Jonas, an analyst at Morgan Stanley (MS -3.40%), believes.

According to Jonas, SpaceX is more attractively valued than other trillion-dollar companies such as Amazon (AMZN -0.94%), Alphabet (GOOG +0.01%) (GOOGL -0.13%), and Meta Platforms (META -2.27%) on some key metrics that account for growth. That's a key part of the analyst's argument, and his calculations led him to assign a $300 price target on the stock while reiterating his "overweight" rating. Jonas' bullish call was one of the catalysts behind SpaceX's shares jumping earlier this week.

Time to buy the stock?Is SpaceX really worth $300 per share? There is no question that the company's business is outstanding. It is a conglomerate that operates across three major industries: space launch, satellite-based connectivity, and artificial intelligence.

SpaceX is arguably the dominant force in space launch and connectivity, and it is eyeing massive opportunities in the AI industry, where it plans to drive significant innovation. Don't put it past SpaceX: The company has done it before.

Today's Change

(

-1.81

%) $

-2.83

Current Price

$

153.71

It pioneered reusable rockets, which reduced launch costs and enabled it to earn lucrative contracts with various clients, including several U.S. government agencies. SpaceX's long-term plans include further reducing space launch costs through its next-gen rocket, Starship, competing with the dominant companies in the telecom market, and launching AI satellites into space, among others.

As Jonas also pointed out, it is important to look at these not as individual businesses, but as parts of a whole interconnected business. Meanwhile, SpaceX has made significant progress since its IPO. For instance, it recently launched Starship into orbit for the first time in a successful test flight.

It has signed AI compute deals, including one that's worth $1.11 billion per month. Its latest quarterly report was also strong. Revenue grew 92% year over year to $7.8 billion, while the company's net loss came in at $541 million, significantly better than the $1 billion net loss reported in the year-ago period.

These are all signs of an improving business. That said, there are significant risks to consider. Jonas himself identified some, including regulatory delays, slower-than-expected progress with Starship, and stalling AI monetization.

There are always risks, but note that while the interconnected nature of SpaceX's business is indeed a major strength, that only works so long as the company makes progress, particularly with Starship. If progress stalls, that affects the prospects of the other two segments as well.

So, much of SpaceX's value depends on several developments, and if they don't pan out, it harms the entire business.

And when it comes to Starship specifically -- one of the most important ongoing projects -- outcomes could vary widely. The $300 price target seems reasonable given certain assumptions regarding Starship's progress (and several other assumptions across the business). Still, because these are very uncertain, the range of potential outcomes is wide, from very bullish to very bearish.

What should investors do? It depends on each person's tolerance for risk and volatility. But at current levels, I'd stay far away from the stock.

Six U.S. Congressmen either invested in the SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) initial public offering (IPO) or purchased SPCX shares less than a week later and are yet to sell – or disclose selling – any of their stake.

Receive Signals on US Congress Members' Stock Trades

Stocks

Stay up-to-date on the trading activity of US Congress members. The signal triggers based on updates from the House disclosure reports, notifying you of their latest stock transactions.

To begin with, Republican John James of Michigan and Democrat Jared Moskowitz of Florida invested in Elon Musk’s newer public company on June 12, with the former buying up to $50,000 and the latter up to $15,000 worth of the equity.

While it is not known at what point during the session the two made the trades, SPCX stock ended the session at $160.95. 

Considering that SpaceX shares were, at press time on the morning of October 14, trading at $153.47, both politicians saw their positions drop 4.65%, with James losing up to $2,325 and Moskowitz up to $697.50.

SpaceX stock price chart. Source: Google These three politicians are down PERCENTAGE on their early SPCX stock bets Additionally, three other politicians disclosed trading SPCX equity three days after the IPO – on June 15. 

John McGuire, a Republican representing Virginia, bought up to $15,000, Daniel Meuser, a Republican representing Pennsylvania, purchased up to $50,000, and William Timmons, a Republican representing South Carolina, invested up to $100,000 in Elon Musk’s company.

Receive Signals on US Congress Members' Stock Trades

Stocks

Stay up-to-date on the trading activity of US Congress members. The signal triggers based on updates from the House disclosure reports, notifying you of their latest stock transactions.

Considering that SpaceX stock closed at $192.50 on Monday, June 15, the trio saw their stakes drop by 20.28%. McGuire is down up to $3,042, Meuser up to $10,140, and Timmons up to $20,280.

Democrat from California suffers PERCENTAGE drop on his SpaceX stock trade Finally, Representative Gil Cisneros, a Democrat serving as the U.S. representative for California’s 31st congressional district, invested up to $15,000 in SPCX shares on June 18.

His trade was the first among American congressmen to arrive after the initial SpaceX rally was over, though it was still executed on a day that featured a comparatively high closing price of $185.

Receive Signals on US Congress Members' Stock Trades

Stocks

Stay up-to-date on the trading activity of US Congress members. The signal triggers based on updates from the House disclosure reports, notifying you of their latest stock transactions.

Thus, Cisneros suffered an approximately 17.04% drop by press time on October 14 and, assuming he invested the full $15,000, he is $2,556 poorer due to his SPCX stock bet.

Featured image via Shutterstock

Best Crypto Exchange for Intermediate Traders and Investors

Invest in cryptocurrencies and 3,000+ other assets including stocks and precious metals.

0% commission on stocks - buy in bulk or just a fraction from as little as $10. Other fees apply. For more information, visit etoro.com/trading/fees.

Copy top-performing traders in real time, automatically.

eToro USA is registered with FINRA for securities trading.

30+ million Users worldwide

Securities trading offered by eToro USA Securities, Inc. (“the BD”), member of FINRA and SIPC. Cryptocurrency offered by eToro USA LLC (“the MSB”) (NMLS: 1769299) and is not FDIC or SIPC insured. Investing involves risk, and content is provided for educational purposes only, does not imply a recommendation, and is not a guarantee of future performance. Finbold.com is not an affiliate and may be compensated if you access certain products or services offered by the MSB and/or the BD

Join Finbold's newsroom, become a Sales Executive today! Apply now to join Finbold as a crypto/finance news writer!

Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX -4.21%) stock recently received yet another buy rating from an analyst, pushing the total number of analysts who recommend owning SpaceX stock to 30.

Barclays analyst Anthony Valentini initiated coverage of SpaceX last week and assigned a buy rating to the rocket stock, with a $254 price target -- a 56% upside from its current price.

Valentini wrote in an investor note that SpaceX's launch capacity is unrivaled. This advantage "creates significant moats in communications with Starlink and, in the future, AI with orbital data centers."

But is he right?

I think it's true that SpaceX has a significant moat with Starlink and potentially in orbital data centers. But I disagree that SpaceX stock is a buy right now. Here's why.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

SpaceX's technological leads are undeniable You don't have to be a fan of SpaceX to admit the company is doing a lot of things right.

For one, the company's Starship rocket is the largest rocket ever launched and just completed its 14th test flight. Once it enters a regular launch schedule (sometime next year), it could help reduce the cost of launching payloads to space by 90%, per SpaceX's estimates.

What's more, SpaceX's other rockets have made dozens of successful flights into space, deploying payloads for customers and ferrying NASA astronauts.

SpaceX had 161 successful launches in 2025, compared to 18 for Rocket Lab, 7 for Arianespace, and just 6 for ULA. SpaceX now accounts for more than 80% of all U.S. commercial launches and more than 50% of all global launches -- I'd say that's a pretty good moat.

And then there's the company's Starlink internet service. Starlink currently has 12 million subscribers globally, with about 3 million in the U.S. Analysts estimate it will continue growing over the next few years and could reach 15 million U.S. subscribers by 2030.

Less than four years ago, Starlink had just 1 million subscribers.

That's phenomenal growth, and could accelerate even more soon. SpaceX said last week that the company was purchasing low-band spectrum that could be used to sell wireless mobile services to customers.

SpaceX is also serious about launching AI data centers into space, and other companies are too. SpaceX launched some of Alphabet's AI processors into space recently as part of the first in-orbit test for Alphabet's Project Suncatcher.

Given the company's ability to launch advanced rockets and technology into space, it's certainly not out of the question that SpaceX could eventually lead the orbital data center market.

Today's Change

(

-4.21

%) $

-6.88

Current Price

$

156.54

Why I don't think SpaceX stock is a buy Despite its opportunities, there are two reasons SpaceX stock isn't worth buying right now.

The first is that the company's capital expenditures are accelerating far too quickly. The company spent $28.5 billion in capex in the first half of 2026, a 309% jump over the same period in 2025.

And that wasn't because rockets are expensive (even though they are). More than 80% of that spending went toward SpaceX's artificial intelligence investments. That's a problem because, despite most of the capex going toward AI, the segment returned $3.4 billion in revenue in the first half of 2026 -- far less than its high costs.

In addition to its high capex spending, SpaceX is very expensive right now. SpaceX shares have a price-to-sales ratio of 68, which is quite a premium over the tech sector average P/S ratio of less than 8.

Will SpaceX continue to lead the rocket launch market and expand further into wireless communications? Probably. And could it successfully launch orbital data centers and create a niche there? It's likely.

But buying the stock now means you're betting on all that to continue going swimmingly for SpaceX, at a time when the market is flying high on AI stocks, and without a dime of net profitability from the company.

Ukraine accused Elon Musk's SpaceX on Wednesday of limiting ​Starlink services, crippling its drones, as Russian missiles knocked out power stations in attacks President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called "ostentatious disrespect" to Donald Trump.

Kyiv's relationship with Washington has taken ‌a sharp turn for the worse since US President Trump abruptly lifted sanctions on Russian diesel last week and publicly turned on Zelenskiy.

Trump, under political pressure to lower fuel prices that have soared since he launched a war against Iran, has called on Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian refineries, and said Ukrainians should replace their wartime leader.

The US president also announced that Ukraine and Russia had both agreed to halt attacks on energy targets, although neither side ​confirmed this and the past two days have seen intensive Russian bombing, including of Ukrainian power stations.

NO WARNING BEFORE STARLINK CUTS
Ukrainian military officials said Musk's SpaceX (SPCX.O) had without warning interrupted ​functioning of military-grade Starlink terminals moving at high speed, effectively preventing Kyiv from using them as onboard guides for drones.

"Our defence forces did not receive ⁠a warning about this limitation, and this led to the disruption of several missions," presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov wrote on Telegram.

The apparent suggestion that Musk's company might limit Ukrainian military capabilities drew a ​sharp response from Poland, which pays for Ukrainian Starlink subscriptions on Kyiv's behalf.

"Hey, @elonmusk, big man, are you playing politics with your products again?" Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski asked Musk on X. "As your European ​customers, we are watching you."

There was no immediate response from Musk, who in the past has called Sikorski a "small man". SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of US business hours.

Musk is a close political ally of Trump, and the suggestion that SpaceX might limit Ukrainian capabilities reinforced wider Ukrainian concerns that Washington could withhold battlefield support to compel its one-time ally to make concessions.

Sources have told Reuters and other news organisations ​that the US has threatened to cut off intelligence for early warning of missile strikes on Ukraine, to press Kyiv to suspend attacks on Russian oil refineries.

NO WARNING AHEAD OF MISSILES
Rescue workers in ​Kyiv were stretchering the injured from the wreckage of a blasted-out residential building overnight, while firefighters battled a huge blaze in the darkness. Officials said 2 people were killed and 21 wounded at the site.

Some 600,000 people ‌were left ⁠without power as Russian missiles careened into power stations during hours of attacks that primarily targeted Kyiv and Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. Russia's defence ministry confirmed it had struck four power plants in and around Kyiv and two in Kharkiv, among other targets. Zelenskiy said more than 30 power stations were damaged.

Ukrainian officials said late on Tuesday they had received no warnings from Western partners for a second day before the massive Russian attacks on the capital. Trump had insisted on Tuesday that Washington was still sharing intelligence.

Zelenskiy cast the latest attacks as a deliberate snub to Trump's declaration of a ceasefire on energy ​targets.

"Russia does not consider the American President's statements ​strong," Zelenskiy wrote on X. "The strike was ⁠entirely deliberate and demonstrative in its scale – Russia has never before shown such ostentatious disrespect toward the United States."

Zelenskiy has said Ukraine is willing to observe an energy ceasefire and has not targeted Russian refineries since Trump announced it, but will not continue to hold back if Russia ignores the ​purported truce. The Kremlin said on Tuesday that contacts were continuing about an energy truce.

Ukraine reported downing just 4 out of 39 Russian missiles, ​reflecting Kyiv's weakened air-defences against ⁠fast-moving ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones amid a shortage of weapons.

Starlink does not work inside Russia, and Ukrainian drones hitting Russia's oil industry use other means of communication, but Ukraine uses Musk's system to guide drones over its own territory, including parts of Ukraine occupied by Russia.

"According to our observations, during flights, the connection could drop for 10–20 seconds at speeds of just 110–120 km/h. The drones kept moving, but these ⁠interruptions made them ​harder to control," Ukraine's 7th Rapid Reaction Corps, deployed in the southeast, said in a statement to Reuters.

A source in ​Ukraine's defence ministry said the limitations significantly complicate logistics and some drone operations.

Since being turned on over Ukraine in the early days of Russia's invasion in 2022, Starlink has been the lifeblood of Ukrainian battlefield communications.

Its resistance to electronic signal jamming ​has made it a crucial tool for flying long-range attack drones and drones used to drop supplies to frontline troops.

24.91K Followers

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

By and Tom Carter You're currently following this author! Click to unsubscribe from email alerts.

Ukraine is heavily reliant on Starlink for military operations. Inna Varenytsia/REUTERS Ukraine's access to Starlink internet service was suddenly disrupted, interfering with military operations, sources in the country's defense ministry and a top presidential advisor said on Wednesday.

Serhii Beskrestnov, a top advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said in a social media post that Elon Musk's SpaceX had implemented speed limits for Starlink terminals overnight. He did not provide evidence to support his claim.

Beskrestnov said the restriction throttles the operation of Starshield, the company's dedicated satellite network for military services, at speeds above 100 miles per hour. He said the Ukrainian military was not notified in advance.

Sources in Ukraine's defense ministry confirmed the disruption and told Business Insider it complicates military operations, including logistics and drone strikes. They said the cause is being investigated.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Critical in combat Starlink has become critically important to Ukraine's military, which has adopted it as a battlefield comms system and also uses it in drone warfare. Drones equipped with Starlink dishes, which can be controlled remotely by pilots hundreds of miles away and adapted to new targets mid-mission, have become one of the country's most potent weapons in the battle against Russian forces.

Ukraine's use of Starlink has made it reliant on Musk and SpaceX, however. In 2023, the world's richest man said he refused a request from Ukraine's military to activate Starlink to assist a Ukrainian assault on Crimea, and Reuters reported last year that SpaceX jeopardized a 2022 Ukrainian counteroffensive by cutting Starlink access to frontline troops.

Starlink antennas are a common sight in Ukraine.  Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Recently, Musk has proven to be a more reliable ally. In February, SpaceX clamped down on Russian forces' use of Starlink terminals in Ukraine after Ukraine's then-defense minister made a personal appeal to the billionaire CEO, a move that allowed Ukrainian forces to wage a successful counteroffensive.

'It is clear this action is not coincidental'Musk has not yet addressed reports of Starlink disruptions in Ukraine. On Saturday, he reignited his past criticisms of Zelenskyy with a post on X that the Ukrainian president had "gone too far" with his strikes on Russian refineries.

The disruption comes after a series of Russian ballistic missile attacks against Kyiv on Monday and Tuesday nights. Ukrainian officials said that in both cases, international partners did not provide an advance warning about their launch, breaking from standard practice.

Elon Musk receives the National Medal of Science from President Donald Trump.  Win McNamee/Getty Images Asked by reporters before the attack on Tuesday if the US would cut intelligence with Ukraine over its strikes on Russian energy sites, President Donald Trump said Washington continued to share it.

Zelenskyy's advisor suggested that the Starlink disruption could be linked to tensions between the US and Ukraine.

"It is clear that this action is not coincidental and is related to the current political situation," Beskrestnov said on Telegram, according to a translation of his statement.

Read next

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Jake Epstein You're currently following this author! Click to unsubscribe from email alerts.

Jake Epstein is a defense correspondent in London for Business Insider, covering the US military, NATO, and European security, as well as emerging tech in warfare.Jake has filed stories from conflict zones in Ukraine and the Middle East, where he embedded with a US aircraft carrier on a combat mission in the Red Sea. Jake has reported extensively on NATO operations and activities across Europe, including from aboard one of its AWACS surveillance aircraft along the Russian border, a British Voyager tanker refueling fighter jets over the Baltic Sea, and a Dutch helicopter flying to a warship in the Arctic.

Tom Carter You're currently following this author! Click to unsubscribe from email alerts.

Ukraine Starlink Elon Musk More

Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX -4.21%) is a popular stock that went public earlier this year. Better known as SpaceX, it's one of Elon Musk's companies, and it has a few business lines. It has seen success in all of them, and is growing rapidly in many. This could make it a substantially larger company by 2030, but just how big could it get?

Let's take a look at what a $1,000 investment in SpaceX could become, as it may be a no-brainer buy at these prices.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

SpaceX has a lot of growing to do SpaceX is divided into three segments: space, artificial intelligence (AI), and connectivity. While the space division may be what it's best known for, it's actually the smallest business unit by a wide margin in terms of revenue. Furthermore, it's growing the slowest, too. While the company's ultimate goal is to be the premier space-economy investment, SpaceX sees huge opportunities in other industries and is focusing its growth on those right now.

Its connectivity division is space-adjacent. Its primary business is Starlink, a satellite-based broadband internet service that gives users connectivity in most places on Earth. This is game-changing for many people in remote or underserved locations, and the service's user base has expanded quickly. It's also SpaceX's only profitable division. I'm confident this business unit will continue to see rapid growth between now and 2030, but at some point in time, it will have attracted a majority of the potential market for its service, at which point growth will start to slow down significantly. I'm not sure if that will happen by 2030, but it will eventually.

Today's Change

(

-4.21

%) $

-6.88

Current Price

$

156.54

Perhaps the most exciting business segment is SpaceXAI, which was previously another Musk-owned company, xAI, that he had SpaceX acquire a few months before it went public. The AI division of the company develops Grok, a popular large language model commonly deployed for use cases requiring up-to-date information. This is SpaceX's fastest-growing segment, growing at a 213% pace in Q2. I think this is where the majority of SpaceX's revenue growth will come from over the next few years, and while it's currently unprofitable, I think it will eventually provide the cash flow necessary to fund SpaceX's space endeavors.

But where does all that leave a $1,000 investment made today by 2030?

Modeling SpaceX's growth isn't easy SpaceX has only been a public company since June, so modeling its growth is not an easy task. Furthermore, it's impossible to know how xAI will perform over the next few years, as it already faces stiff competition from other AI labs. So, let's start with the immediate future.

For 2027, Wall Street analysts estimate that SpaceX's revenue will grow by 155% to $115 billion. If the stock didn't move at all from today's level, that would price it at 18 times sales. For reference, Nvidia (NVDA +0.97%) trades for 18 times sales right now. So, I'd estimate that all of SpaceX's 2027 growth is already accounted for in the stock price.

But to project what might happen from 2028 through 2030 requires guessing whether SpaceX will actually launch data center satellites into space in commercially meaningful numbers, and do so in a way that points to that business becoming profitable. If Musk's plan for a massive constellation of data center satellites becomes a viable business, then SpaceX stock could skyrocket from here. On the flip side, xAI could lose ground to rival AI labs, Starlink's growth could plateau, and its space division may not achieve meaningful launch growth. If some combination of those things happens, SpaceX's stock could retreat.

It's hard to predict the future, and with SpaceX not having a ton of public available performance history, it's difficult to estimate. However, I have confidence in the business segments SpaceX is involved in, so I don't think it's unreasonable to expect SpaceX's stock to double to $2,000 by 2030, driven by growth in at least one of its three segments.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX agreed Tuesday to testify before the New York City Council about AI-related safety risks after being slapped with a subpoena, according to Council Speaker Julie Menin.

The tech giant said it would send a rep this coming Friday after it ditched an initial AI safety hearing featuring virtual appearances by officials from rivals Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and Meta last week. Safety experts and whistleblowers such as ex-Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon showed up, too. Menin, a Manhattan Dem, called SpaceX’s absence from the marathon session “unacceptable.”

Elon Musk listens as President Donald Trump speaks during an event at the US Institute of Peace last Thursday. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
“New Yorkers and the public at large deserve to hear directly from the companies developing this powerful technology about the safeguards they are putting in place to protect people from harm and how they will be held accountable when those safeguards fail,” she said in a statement.

 “Self-regulation is not enough, and I am glad that we have now secured SpaceXAI’s commitment to appear before the public in the coming week,” Menin added.

The City Council first issued a subpoena compelling SpaceX’s testimony on Sept. 28, shortly after the other four companies agreed to participate in the first hearing. After SpaceX ignored the demand, the body warned it would file a petition with the New York State Supreme Court to enforce the subpoena unless SpaceX complied.

It’s unclear who will represent SpaceX at the second hearing. The Post has reached out to company representatives for comment.

Councilwoman Carmen De La Rosa, who chairs the body’s committee on technology, alleged that SpaceX had “tried to circumvent our city’s public conversation on the dangers of AI.”

City Council Speaker Julie Menin speaks during an open Council hearing on the impact of AI development and risks it could create at City Hall on Oct. 5. ZUMAPRESS.com
“With the proliferation of Elon Musk’s technology at the federal level, it is even more important they come to the discussion with robust context about data privacy, safeguards, and whistleblower protections,” the Manhattan Dem said in a statement.

Coxon – who quit Anthropic last month while warning of a “greater than 10% chance” that AI wipes out humanity – told Council members last week that the AI industry was being “extremely reckless given the stakes.”

A SpaceX facility is seen beyond a shore near the Starbase on Sept. 29 in Boca Chica, Tex. Getty Images
“From my experience, the companies are being extremely reckless given the stakes,” the youthful whistleblower said at the hearing. “The companies run on a startup mindset: move fast, break things, fix them later. That works for a photo sharing app. It does not work for building the most powerful technology ever built.”

SpaceX, which consists of Musk’s rocket and satellite business as well as his xAI artificial intelligence unit, went public in June.

Investment in the space economy could top $100 billion this year for the first time according to analysis from investment firm Space Capital, as SpaceX's blockbuster IPO, rising defense demand and the need for new infrastructure draw more capital into the sector. Bloomberg's Loren Grush discusses how SpaceX is reshaping investment well beyond its own business with Ed Ludlow on "Bloomberg Tech.

Key Takeaways SPCX is the better investment pick, backed by stronger price performance and upward earnings revisions.CLS' 2026 sales and EPS are projected to grow 64.3% and 87.1%, respectively, driven by strong AI demand.SpaceX's 2026 sales are projected to surge 136.2%, while its forward price-to-sales ratio stands at 22.53. Celestica Inc. (CLS - Free Report) and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SPCX - Free Report) are two key players in the aerospace and space technology markets. Celestica provides advanced electronics, engineering and manufacturing solutions for aerospace, defense and space applications, while SpaceX focuses on space transportation and satellite communications.

SpaceX integrates its space transportation and satellite communications businesses to create a mutually reinforcing business model. Its advanced rocket launch capabilities support the rapid deployment and expansion of its satellite network, while recurring revenues from Starlink provide financial resources to advance next-generation space technologies and long-term deep-space exploration initiatives.

 Let us delve a little deeper into the companies’ competitive dynamics to understand which of the two is relatively better placed in the industry.

The Case for CLSWith more than two decades of experience in manufacturing, backed by a simplified and optimized global network, Celestica is committed to delivering next-generation, cloud-optimized data storage and industry-leading networking solutions to help customers balance performance, power efficiency and space as technologies evolve. The growing proliferation of AI-based applications and generative AI tools is fueling solid AI investments across the technology ecosystem. This, in turn, is driving demand for Celestica’s enterprise-level data communications and information processing infrastructure products, such as routers, switches, data center interconnects, edge solutions and servers and storage-related products.

Celestica’s focus on product diversification and increasing its presence in high-value markets is positive. Its strong research and development foundations allow it to produce high-volume electronic goods and highly complex technology infrastructure products for a wide range of industries, including communication, healthcare, aerospace and defense, energy, semiconductor and various cloud-based and other service providers. Such a diverse customer base enhances business resilience by reducing dependence on a single industry and minimizing the effects on financial results from an economic downturn in a specific sector.

However, the company remains plagued by margin woes. Celestica’s products are highly sophisticated and typically based on the latest technological innovations, which have historically led to high research and development costs. High operating expenses have negatively impacted margins. Moreover, Celestica faces stiff competition from industry giants like Foxconn, Flex and Sanmina Corporation (SANM - Free Report) . The highly cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry remains an overhang, particularly in the aftermath of the tariff war.

The Case for SPCXSpaceX has transformed the launch industry through its reusable Falcon 9 rockets, significantly reducing launch costs and increasing mission frequency. The company now conducts more launches annually than any of its global competitors, giving it a commanding share of the commercial launch market. In addition, Starlink provides recurring subscription income and potentially higher long-term margins. The business also benefits from a powerful competitive advantage. SpaceX can launch its own satellites at a fraction of the cost of its competitors, allowing Starlink to expand its network faster and more efficiently. As global demand for reliable broadband connectivity increases, Starlink's prospects become solid.

The Elon Musk-led company is aiming to evolve into a vertically integrated AI infrastructure company by combining advanced AI models, large-scale computing capabilities and satellite connectivity under one umbrella. The transformation is likely to unlock a significantly larger addressable market while diversifying the company's revenue base beyond launch services and Starlink. As part of the transition, xAI's flagship chatbot, Grok, has started operating under the SpaceXAI brand. The integration is expected to strengthen collaboration between the company's AI software, computing infrastructure and satellite network, creating a differentiated ecosystem that few competitors can match.

The company plans to deploy AI compute satellites as early as 2028, effectively creating space-based data centers capable of delivering large-scale computing capacity. This initiative leverages SpaceX's leadership in satellite deployment while addressing the growing demand for AI computing resources. Alongside its satellite ambitions, SpaceX continues to expand its Colossus data center platform, strengthening its position in AI infrastructure. SpaceX has also entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Anysphere in an all-stock deal valued at $60 billion. The buyout of a startup firm behind the rapidly growing AI coding assistant Cursor is primarily aimed at gaining a firmer footing in the enterprise AI market.

However, SpaceX is scaling several capital-intensive platforms simultaneously. The company is investing heavily in COLOSSUS, COLOSSUS II, Grok, enterprise offerings, compute services and future orbital AI compute. Management expects a multi-year investment cycle until sustained positive segment-adjusted EBITDA is realized. The strategy may create a cost advantage if compute, energy and launch assets integrate as planned. Until then, AI adds uncertainty to margins, capital needs and consolidated earnings quality.

How Do Zacks Estimates Compare for CLS & SPCX?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Celestica’s 2026 sales and EPS implies year-over-year growth of 64.3% and 87.1%, respectively. The EPS estimate for 2026 has inched down marginally over the past 60 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SpaceX’s 2026 sales indicates year-over-year growth of 136.2%. EPS estimates have improved a stellar 350% over the past 60 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Price Performance & Valuation of CLS & SPCXSince its IPO, SpaceX has gained 1.6% compared with the industry’s growth of 135.1%. Celestica has declined 11.6% over the same period.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Celestica looks more attractive than SpaceX from a valuation standpoint. Going by the price/sales ratio, Celestica’s shares currently trade at 1.36 forward sales, lower than 22.53 for SpaceX.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

CLS or SPCX: Which is a Better Pick?Clestica carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) while SpaceX carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

In terms of price performance, CLS has lagged SPCX. An uptrend in estimate revisions shows bullish investor sentiment for SpaceX, although Celestica appears to have attractive valuation metrics. With a better Zacks Rank and an uptrend in estimate revisions, SpaceX appears to be a better investment option at the moment.

Information in Investor’s Business Daily is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer, recommendation, solicitation, or rating to buy or sell securities. The information has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable, but we make no guarantee as to its accuracy, timeliness, or suitability, including with respect to information that appears in closed captioning. Historical investment performances are no indication or guarantee of future success or performance. Authors/presenters may own the stocks they discuss. We make no representations or warranties regarding the advisability of investing in any particular securities or utilizing any specific investment strategies. Information is subject to change without notice. For information on use of our services, please see our Terms of Use.

*Real-time prices by Nasdaq Last Sale. Real-time quote and/or trade prices are not sourced from all markets. Ownership data provided by LSEG and Estimate data provided by FactSet.

IBD, IBD Digital, IBD Live, IBD Weekly, Investor's Business Daily, Leaderboard, MarketDiem, MarketSurge and other marks are trademarks owned by Investor's Business Daily, LLC.

©2026 Investor’s Business Daily, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Following the explosive initial public offering (IPO), SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX)  stock has the potential to become a $5 trillion company by 2031, according to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

The forecast implies a 132% increase from SpaceX’s $2.152 trillion market capitalization as of press time, when SPCX shares traded at $163.42. 

ChatGPT projects a broader timeline of 2029 to 2035, depending on revenue growth and profitability.

In ChatGPT’s bullish scenario, SpaceX could reach $5 trillion in 2028 or 2029 if Starlink Mobile expands quickly, AI investments generate stronger returns, and Starship advances toward reliable operations. 

Its base case places the milestone between 2030 and 2032, while the bearish scenario suggests it could arrive after 2035 or never materialize.

SpaceX stock prediction. Source: ChatGPT
Overall, ChatGPT’s central estimate remains 2031, contingent on the company converting its revenue growth and heavy investment into sustainable cash flow.

Drivers of SpaceX growth 
According to the AI model, Starlink will be central to this growth. Notably, SpaceX reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $7.814 billion, up 92% year over year. Connectivity generated $4.291 billion in revenue and $1.656 billion in operating profit.

Starlink had 12 million subscribers at the end of June, double the year-earlier figure. However, average monthly revenue per user fell from $85 to $66, making sustained subscriber growth and profitability important to the company’s outlook.

ChatGPT also identified artificial intelligence (AI) as a potential growth driver. In this line, SpaceX’s AI segment generated $2.561 billion in second-quarter revenue, up 247% year over year, but recorded a $1.257 billion operating loss.

At the same time, SpaceX completed its $60 billion all-stock acquisition of AI coding startup Cursor in August and reported $14.1 billion in contracted cloud-services sales. However, the company’s AI expansion remains capital-intensive, with $15.828 billion in AI capital expenditure during the second quarter.

Starship development could provide another boost if the rocket achieves reliable reusability and reduces satellite deployment costs. Its September 28 flight reached orbit and deployed 26 next-generation Starlink satellites, although an engine problem shortened the mission.

SpaceX is also seeking to expand into mobile connectivity through its proposed $8 billion acquisition of Grain Management’s 800 MHz wireless spectrum portfolio. 

The deal remains subject to regulatory approval. The company also reported more than $6 billion in multiyear U.S. government contracts for Starshield.

SpaceX stock risks 
Despite these growth opportunities, ChatGPT highlighted high capital expenditure, technical setbacks, competition, and valuation risk as potential obstacles. 

Notably, SpaceX reported a second-quarter net loss of $541 million, adjusted EBITDA of $3.538 billion, and approximately $100 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities.

Featured image via Shutterstock

So far, SpaceX’s (NASDAQ: SPCX) time in the stock market has been marked by volatility and a wide price range, and, judging by the artificial intelligence (AI) analysis prompted by Finbold on Tuesday, October 13, its future remains highly uncertain.

Indeed, while the average $186.36 AI price target for SPCX share at the end of 2026 appears, at face value, outright bullish as it appears to anticipate a 14.04% rally from the latest close at $163.42, the four individual forecasts proved very different from one another.

SpaceX stock price performance since SPCX IPO. Source: Google ChatGPT and Gemini AI show strong optimism for SpaceX stock To begin with, ChatGPT proved generally optimistic regarding SpaceX stock in the final two and a half months of 2026. OpenAI’s flagship platform cited the company’s impressive second quarter (Q2) earnings, the successful Starship rocket launches and flights, and expansion into other areas such as telecom as the main bullish drivers.

According to ChatGPT, these factors should prove sufficient – even when facing the company’s stretched valuation and rising capital expenditures (CapEx) – to drive SPCX stock 16.26% higher and to $190 by December 31, 2026.

ChatGPT AI predicts SpaceX stock price for the end of 2026. Source: Finbold & ChatGPT Meanwhile, Alphabet’s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) model, Google Gemini, reflected on big tech’s traditionally strong Q4 performance and the estimate that the bulk of SpaceX equity volatility will largely remain confined in its initial months in the market, as the factors likely to dominate the performance of Elon Musk’s newer public company by the end of 2026.

Thus, after factoring in the recent Starlink and AI developments, the platform concluded SPCX is likely to rise 11.68% to $182.50 – just short of the average $186.36 December 31 price target.

Gemini AI predicts SpaceX stock price for the end of 2026. Source: Finbold & Gemini Claude AI presents late 2026 SpaceX stock bear case Anthropic’s model – Claude – proved an outlier to the overall bullish picture painted by artificial intelligence. The AI highlighted the insider stock lock schedule and low float, stretched valuation, rising CapEx, and macro conditions such as bond yields and oil prices as generally bearish for SpaceX.

Still, it acknowledged that the company benefits from business momentum, decisive optimism on Wall Street, genuine technological milestones in the form of recent Starship launches, and the fact that Musk will not be able to sell SPCX equity before June 2027 as strong bullish factors.

Claude, ultimately, predicted SpaceX stock will drop 3.32% from its latest closing price of $163.42 to $158 by the end of 2026.

Claude AI predicts SpaceX stock price for the end of 2026. Source: Finbold & Claude DeepSeek AI predicts SPCX stock to fall slightly short of new ATH at end of 2026 Lastly, China’s most recognizable platform, DeepSeek AI, came out as by far the most optimistic. The model cited Wall Street analysts’ assessment of SPCX, the impressive Q2 earnings, and institutional stock market bullishness for the remainder of 2026 as powerful tailwinds for SpaceX.

DeepSeek AI predicts SpaceX stock price for the end of 2026. Source: Finbold & DeepSeek In fact, DeepSeek AI determined these factors as decisive enough to send Elon Musk’s newer public company almost to a new all-time high (ATH) by setting the December 31 price target at $215 – 31.56% above the latest close at $163.42.

Featured image via Shutterstock

Best Crypto Exchange for Intermediate Traders and Investors

Invest in cryptocurrencies and 3,000+ other assets including stocks and precious metals.

0% commission on stocks - buy in bulk or just a fraction from as little as $10. Other fees apply. For more information, visit etoro.com/trading/fees.

Copy top-performing traders in real time, automatically.

eToro USA is registered with FINRA for securities trading.

30+ million Users worldwide

Securities trading offered by eToro USA Securities, Inc. (“the BD”), member of FINRA and SIPC. Cryptocurrency offered by eToro USA LLC (“the MSB”) (NMLS: 1769299) and is not FDIC or SIPC insured. Investing involves risk, and content is provided for educational purposes only, does not imply a recommendation, and is not a guarantee of future performance. Finbold.com is not an affiliate and may be compensated if you access certain products or services offered by the MSB and/or the BD

Join Finbold's newsroom, become a Sales Executive today! Apply now to join Finbold as a crypto/finance news writer!

SpaceX just collapsed Grok, Cursor, and X Premium into a single five-tier subscription, slashing prices while quietly shifting the cost burden onto developers who depend on rival AI models.

On October 12, 2026, SpaceXAI posted on X: “We’ve unified plans across Grok, Cursor, and X Premium. Introducing The X Subscription.” The plan places Grok, Grok Bot, Cursor and X Premium into five tiers. The top tier, Ultra, costs $200 a month.

SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX | SPCX Price Prediction) has a trailing net loss of $8.89 billion. Even so, the package brings down the combined price of its most expensive products.

Current subscribers do not have to switch. According to the company, “Nothing changes for existing SuperGrok, Cursor, or X Premium subscribers,”, and anyone who does switch gets a prorated refund on the old plan. New customers could sign up right away, and the plan was set to reach every country over the following few days.

Shares closed the October 12 session at $163.42, up 0.52%, but posts about the launch only started after the close. By 7:59 p.m. Eastern, the stock had slipped 0.63% to $162.39.

Five Tiers That Cut the Price and Raise the Usage Limit
The Free tier costs $0 and includes daily Grok access, a basic allowance for Cursor’s coding agents, and standard X. Plus costs $8 and adds more AI usage, a checkmark, creator tools, and fewer ads.

Premium costs $30 and gives four times the usage of Plus. Super costs $100 for 15 times the Plus usage, and Ultra gives 50 times.

SpaceXAI says the benefits of SuperGrok, Cursor Pro and X Premium+ were previously $90/month combined, and Premium now covers them. The company also says, “Each comparable new tier provides more usage-per-dollar than the plan it replaces.”

So the price goes down while the usage limit goes up. That only pays off if the cost of serving each request falls faster than the price.

How SpaceX Protects Its Margin
Cursor wrote: “To make room for more Grok usage, third-party models in Cursor move to API pricing on the new plans.” API pricing means you pay per request, with no flat allowance.

Paid plans “share one usage pool across Cursor, Grok Build, and other Grok products.” SpaceXAI also claims each paid plan gives at least twice as much coding usage with its own models as the matching Cursor plan.

The package protects the margin because when the company subsidizes its own models and charges per request for rivals’ models, inference spending (the computing that runs each AI request) shifts to hardware SpaceX owns. In the second quarter alone, SpaceX spent $15.83 billion on AI compute.

Someone has to power, cool, and connect the expansion behind that spending, and we rounded up seven suppliers riding that wave in a free report on the AI infrastructure trade.

If you are a developer who relies on third-party models, the new plan costs you more even though the listed price fell. SpaceX also has not said how many requests or tokens the Plus tier allows.

What the Announcement Did Not Say
The launch came with no subscriber counts, no expected revenue, and no usage limits for the entry paid tier. The small after-hours move shows investors treating it as a price change with no announced revenue upside, and that view looks right.

Trailing revenue is $23.04 billion, and most of it comes from other businesses. In the second quarter, Connectivity brought in $4.291 billion, while Advertising, the line closest to X, shrank from $367 million a year earlier.

What Investors Need to Weigh Before the Next SPCX Report
Revenue growth of 121.9% shows strong demand, but cutting prices on what subscribers already spend makes the trailing loss harder to close.

The stock trades at about 200 times forward earnings. Since the IPO, it has traded between $104.83 and $225.64, down 4.48% over one week and up 8.07% over one month.

The package works if single-product subscribers move up to Super and Ultra. It fails if most of them just get Premium-level discounts.

The next test is the third-quarter report, expected November 3, 2026, though the company has not confirmed that date. If that report shows subscription revenue or a tier mix growing alongside a steadier Advertising line, this view would change. If it shows neither, the package likely worked mainly as a discount on spending that subscribers were already making.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

When Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX +0.52%) went public in June, it was at a market cap of $1.75 trillion, immediately making it one of the 10 largest public companies in the world. The common read was that it was overvalued, with Morningstar valuing it at $780 billion.

Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood disagreed. She has invested heavily in SpaceX, and in a Sept. 16 post on X, she argued that the space company could be a deep-value opportunity at its IPO price.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

The math behind Cathie Wood's valuation
Wood and Ark analyst Sam Korus have provided calculations showing why SpaceX is a deep value, based on Starlink's revenue potential. As of 2025, Starlink generated about $19 million in annual revenue per terabit per second (Tbps) of network capacity. Each Starship carrying 60 Starlink V3 satellites adds about 61 Tbps of capacity, meaning each launch could theoretically generate $1 billion in recurring annual revenue.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has set a goal of 10,000 Starship launches per year by 2030. In her post on X, Wood explained that at $1 billion per launch, 10,000 flights would be $10 trillion in annual revenue.

Musk had a short reply: "It's not impossible." While that's true, Musk is known for setting extremely ambitious goals, and this one is worth a reality check.

Flaws in the argument
There are several issues with this $10 trillion revenue projection for SpaceX. The biggest: The space company is nowhere close to 10,000 Starship launches per year. The first Starship launch was in 2023, and to date, there have been 14 total, including nine successes and five failures. Even across SpaceX's fleetwide flights, the total is 165 launches in 2025 and 116 so far this year (as of Oct. 8).

Today's Change

(

0.52

%) $

0.85

Current Price

$

163.42

SpaceX's launch cadence is impressive, as it accounts for about 80% of all U.S. orbital launches, according to recent research by The Motley Fool. But going from less than 10 Starship launches per year to 10,000 by 2030 doesn't seem realistic.

Wood's calculations also assume that every flight carries Starlink satellites and revenue per terabit holds, neither of which is likely. The 10,000-flight goal could include passenger transport, in which case it wouldn't be exclusively satellite payloads. Revenue per terabit is already declining, from $23 million in 2024 to $19 million in 2025.

SpaceX doesn't look like a deep-value stock
SpaceX was richly valued at its IPO price, and it has only gotten more expensive. With a market cap of $2.2 trillion, it trades at about 102 times trailing sales. For perspective, Nvidia has a trailing price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 19, and even Palantir Technologies, which is anything but a value stock, is cheaper at 83 times sales.

Wood's valuation of SpaceX is based on an extremely optimistic scenario years in the future. Right now, SpaceX is highly volatile and trading at a multiple several times higher than most tech companies.

Before investing, it's worth considering the worst-case scenarios, such as multiple compressions during a bear market, just as thoroughly as the best-case scenario.

Jim Iuorio discusses the "excellent" demand in bonds through the 10-year Treasury auction. The U.S.-Iran war, paired with international bond moves, lead Jim to believe yields will persistently maintain upward momentum.

SpaceX SPCX stock remains in focus on Wall Street as analysts assess the potential of its Starship rocket programme and the company's expansion into wireless communications through Starlink Mobile.

Morgan Stanley reiterated its Overweight rating and $300 price target on SpaceX, implying approximately 85% upside from the stock's October 9 closing price of $162.57.

Lead analyst Adam Jonas said the next two Starship missions could significantly influence investor expectations for the company's growth prospects.

The outlook comes as SpaceX prepares for its next Starship test flights while pursuing opportunities in satellite communications, orbital computing, and manufacturing.

SpaceX stock was up 0.78% at the time of writing on Monday.

Morgan Stanley said the upcoming Starship Flight 15 could represent an important step towards making the next-generation rocket fully reusable.

The mission is tentatively scheduled for November 8, although SpaceX has not confirmed the date.

It could include an attempt to catch the returning spacecraft using mechanical arms at the launch tower, a manoeuvre that Chief Executive Elon Musk has indicated the company hopes to attempt.

Flight 16 could follow as early as December 10, according to preliminary air traffic notices cited by Morgan Stanley. That date also remains unconfirmed.

Successful reusability could reduce launch costs and increase the amount of equipment SpaceX can deliver into orbit.

These improvements could support the expansion of its Starlink satellite network and create opportunities in emerging markets such as orbital computing and manufacturing.

According to Morgan Stanley, a single Starship launch carrying next-generation Starlink satellites could deliver bandwidth capacity equivalent to one to more than two months of current deployments using Falcon 9 missions.

Each Starlink V3 satellite offers approximately 10 times the downlink capacity of the V2 Mini satellites launched aboard Falcon 9 rockets, the report said.

Morgan Stanley expects Starship to accelerate Starlink's deployment by carrying larger payloads into orbit.

Following the deployment of 26 Starlink V3 satellites during Flight 14, Jonas expects the next mission to carry a similar or potentially larger payload.

Starship has the capacity to carry as many as 60 of these satellites, potentially reducing the number of launches required to expand the network.

The developments could also support SpaceX's broader ambitions in satellite communications and artificial intelligence.

Separately, Pivotal Research raised its SpaceX price target to $230 from $220 while maintaining a Buy rating after the company agreed to acquire nationwide wireless spectrum from Grain Management.

Analyst Jeffrey Wlodarczak said SpaceX had effectively created a “legitimate” new low-cost wireless carrier through Starlink Mobile, which could initially target rural and suburban customers by bundling the service with existing Starlink equipment.

The roughly $8 billion agreement covers up to 14 megahertz of paired spectrum in the 800 MHz band.

These lower-frequency airwaves can travel farther and penetrate buildings more effectively, potentially extending mobile coverage.

Engine problems remain a risk for Starship timelineDespite the potential benefits, Morgan Stanley highlighted technical challenges that could affect the programme's progress.

All three launches involving the V3 configuration experienced booster engine problems before splashdown, while two also encountered failures involving the spacecraft's vacuum engines.

Although the number of booster engines successfully firing during landing attempts has improved, further setbacks could delay hardware reuse and constrain the launch cadence in 2027.

Investors will therefore be watching the next missions for evidence that SpaceX can improve reliability and move closer to routine reuse.

The outcomes could influence expectations for Starship's role in expanding Starlink, reducing launch costs, and supporting SpaceX's longer-term growth opportunities.

ARK Invest trimmed its SpaceX position hours before a seismic spectrum announcement sent wireless carriers into a tailspin, and the sequence of events raises a question the fund's disclosure timing can only partially answer.

On October 8, 2026, an ARK Invest fund sold 29,048 shares of SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX | SPCX Price Prediction). At that day’s close, the shares were worth about $4.7 million. The stock fell 4.19% that session and closed at $160.57.

At 4:17 p.m. ET, after the close, Grain Management announced a definitive agreement to sell its nationwide 800 MHz spectrum portfolio to SpaceX. ARK’s funds trade during market hours, so the sale went through before anyone outside the deal knew about it. That timing was unlucky, and the wireless carriers turned out to be the bigger story.

On October 9, T-Mobile (NASDAQ:TMUS) fell 13.27%, AT&T (NYSE:T) fell 9.81%, and Verizon (NYSE:VZ) fell 8.75%. SpaceX rose a more modest 1.25% to $162.57.

How the Sale and the Announcement Lined Up
ARK releases each day’s trades after the market closes, so the October 8 trim only became public after Grain’s news was already out. That disclosure order is why the trade looks well timed in hindsight.

ARK also sold 54,873 shares on October 6, worth about $9.4 million. It reportedly sold another 22,276 shares on October 9, after the news was public. If ARK had known about the deal, selling into it would make little sense.

What SpaceX Actually Signed
The agreement covers up to 14 MHz of paired 800 MHz spectrum. Low-band signals travel farther and pass through walls better than the higher frequencies satellite services have mostly relied on. That matters if the goal is reaching an ordinary phone indoors.

The agreement is signed, but it still needs FCC approval. Neither company disclosed the price. The Wall Street Journal reported it at about $8 billion in cash. Grain is private, so that reported figure is the only number linked to it.

Elon Musk called the deal “the last critical piece of the spectrum puzzle needed for SpaceX to provide complete phone coverage in America.” Responding to Chamath Palihapitiya on X on October 8, he wrote: “To those who understand the spectrum wars, it’s an earthquake.” Because Musk speaks for the buyer, read both lines as a pitch.

Why the Carriers Took the Bigger Hit
A satellite company with nationwide low-band spectrum could become a fourth national wireless competitor. T-Mobile, which closed at $148.58, fell the most, likely because its growth story depends most on winning customers from rivals.

Verizon closed at $41.65 and AT&T at $22.18. SpaceX still has no retail stores, no existing phone subscribers, and no FCC approval, and a regulatory review gives the carriers time to respond. Drops that steep likely overstate how close that threat is, since it remains remote and still lacks approval.

ARK bought about 3.3 million shares on IPO day, and its SpaceX stake across all its funds is reportedly worth about $979 million. The three cuts are small next to that.

On October 8, ARK also sold three large technology holdings, the biggest worth about $14.3 million. It bought 159,918 shares of Kratos Defense (NASDAQ:KTOS), worth about $6.7 million. Trimming a winner to fund new positions is portfolio management, and it says little about the company.

What the Valuation and FCC Review Mean for SPCX
SpaceX went public at $135 on June 12, 2026, and it is now valued at $2.21 trillion. Second-quarter revenue came in at $7.81 billion, with a net loss of $541 million and $18.37 billion spent on capital projects.

Forbes has reported that SpaceX plans to raise $40 billion to buy AI chips. The spectrum deal adds another large cash commitment on top of that. At this valuation, the stock price already assumes the phone business will work.

SPCX’s valuation leaves little room for setbacks. Verizon’s selloff, by comparison, likely treats a competitor that still needs FCC approval as though it were already selling service.

The key test is the FCC’s decision on the Grain transfer. If the agency denies or conditions the transfer, or if SPCX closes below its $135 IPO price, the bearish case gets stronger. A clean approval, along with a named launch date, would weaken the case.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

The news that Elon Musk’s Starlink is preparing to become a major carrier sent U.S. telecom giants’ equities plunging, had next to no impact on SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) stock but, by press time on October 12, registered with some Wall Street analysts.

Specifically, Pivotal Research’s Jeffrey Wlodarczak issued a note on Monday in which he maintained his previous ‘Buy’ rating and increased the 12-month SPCX price target from $220 – 33.90% above $164.30 at press time – to $230, for a 39.99% forecasted upside.

The analyst cited SpaceX’s agreement to acquire a nationwide low-band spectrum license portfolio, made with the explicit goal of becoming a major mobile carrier in the U.S., and estimated the firm could have 160 million worldwide subscribers by 2036.

We announced an agreement to acquire a nationwide low-band spectrum license portfolio that will pave the way for @Starlink to become a major mobile carrier in the US.

With this new spectrum and our Gen2 constellation, Starlink Mobile can ensure Americans have access to… pic.twitter.com/uVktZ0g3tu

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 8, 2026 Additionally, a part of the reason for the upgrade was the estimate that Elon Musk’s firm could build its network for roughly $10 billion – significantly lower than the more typical cost range between $50 billion and $100 billion.

Wall Street sets SpaceX stock price target for the next 12 months Zooming out, while Wlodarczak’s revision came after a major business development, it nonetheless fell close to the existing consensus on Wall Street. 

Indeed, SpaceX stock is, overall, considered a ‘Moderate Buy’ based on all ratings published in the last three months, and boasts twenty-eight positive, five ‘Hold’, and two ‘Sell’ recommendations.

Wall Street sets SpaceX stock price target for the next 12 months. Source: TipRanks The average SPCX price target for the next 12 months is only slightly lower than the one assigned by Pivotal Research and estimates a 31.43% rally to $216, per the data Finbold retrieved from TipRanks on October 12.

Lastly and notably, though the plans for Starlink to become a major U.S. carrier had a large impact on existing telecom giants and led Jeffrey Wlodarczak to revise his target, they had a limited impact on SpaceX stock itself.

Indeed, at their press time price of $164.30, SPCX shares are only slightly above their October 8 price and approximately 0.7% under their October 9 open – the first since the announcement.

SpaceX stock price one-week chart. Source: Google Furthermore, the equity failed to sustain the climb above $170 recorded earlier in the month, though it remains 2.08% above its first closing price of $160.95 and 21.70% above the initial public offering (IPO) price of $135.

Featured image via Shutterstock

Best Crypto Exchange for Intermediate Traders and Investors

Invest in cryptocurrencies and 3,000+ other assets including stocks and precious metals.

0% commission on stocks - buy in bulk or just a fraction from as little as $10. Other fees apply. For more information, visit etoro.com/trading/fees.

Copy top-performing traders in real time, automatically.

eToro USA is registered with FINRA for securities trading.

30+ million Users worldwide

eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more.

Join Finbold's newsroom, become a Sales Executive today! Apply now to join Finbold as a crypto/finance news writer!

Julie Zhu, MoffettNathanson research analyst, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the growth of SpaceX, the company's purchase of a nationwide spectrum portfolio, the rationale behind her $142 price target, and more.