Art of Speculation
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Space stocks lost expected support when the S&P committee rejected fast-tracking SpaceX into the index, removing forced passive buying, while funds sell tech to raise cash for next Friday's SpaceX IPO. Rocket Lab's $150 looks like the top, with a likely lower high, perhaps dropping to $100 on Monday before rebounding to $120-130. x.com x.comÂ
Rocket Lab and AST SpaceMobile face a liquidity drain as money pulls out of space stocks ahead of SpaceX's record IPO. SpaceX priced at $135 to list on June 12, raising $75 billion at about a $1.75 trillion valuation, and that siphoning effect should accelerate over the coming week. Space stocks will not fall in a straight line, but oversold bounces are likely to be followed by more distribution as investors raise cash to buy SpaceX. x.comÂ
SpaceX's competitive threat makes AST SpaceMobile less attractive at these levels than SpaceX and Rocket Lab. AST SpaceMobile's weekly chart shows a downtrend and strong outflows, though the stock is near marked support. x.comÂ
Other space stocks look less attractive as liquidity concentrates in SpaceX. StonkChris expects most to face a tougher long-term outlook, though some may still win; the visible flow of liquidity into one name supports that concern. x.comÂ
Space stocks could regain high-beta flows as SpaceX lockups end and a probable late-November Anthropic IPO threatens AI stocks, much as SpaceX's IPO hurt space names. Hedge funds are overexposed to the Magnificent Seven and underexposed or max short low-quality high beta; falling rates and toppy oil could make the rotation painful for them through 2027. AST SpaceMobile could benefit as intermittent service triggers agreements and Blue Origin possibly returns to the pad in six weeks. x.com x.comÂ
Small space stocks like AST SpaceMobile and Rocket Lab remain shorts: they have gone into a delirious pump since 2025 in sympathy with SpaceX anticipation, and retail has not yet taken enough pain. The time to cover is once they get eviscerated. x.comÂ
Rocket Lab's $3B at-the-market offering shows it needs investor cash because it has no real earnings or path to profitability, and it should have raised $10-15B while the window lasts. Selling stock at such a high valuation is the only way to sustain the next 18-24 months, and the coming SpaceX IPO will most likely be the sell event for the entire space sector. x.com x.comÂ
A stronger SpaceX could lift the wider space-stock basket, including AST SpaceMobile, Rocket Lab, Redwire, Planet Labs, Intuitive Machines, Firefly Aerospace and Voyager Technologies. Per DeItaone, JPMorgan raised its SpaceX price target from $240 to $500 while maintaining Overweight. The seven space stocks rose alongside SpaceX after hours. Their initial post-IPO selloff was followed by macro-driven weakness, not further weakness caused by SpaceX. x.com x.com x.comÂ
SpaceX shares are being held up by market makers, not real institutional buying, setting retail up to be the last buyers. The support draws retail FOMO and short sellers whose covering adds another leg up, while pre-IPO institutions slowly sell high and insider lock-ups may unlock early. With a float of only 3-5% of market value, SpotGamma calls it one of the most gamma-sensitive markets in a decade; if call buying pauses, dealers unwind and the stock could fall as fast as it rose. x.com x.comÂ
Space stocks such as Redwire and AST SpaceMobile have run too far on retail chasing and look like shorts into the SpaceX IPO. Government contracts are already priced in, and the stocks price years ahead while ignoring execution risk. The SpaceX IPO should absorb more liquidity as institutions sell the news, leaving retail holding the bag. AST SpaceMobile is the second-biggest space short after EchoStar; sell space stocks before IPO day, though the broader market can stay steady through July. … Show more
Rocket Lab completing its $1.94 billion ATM to fund the Iridium deal removes an overhang that likely suppressed the whole space sector. As the lead high-beta space name, its ATM selling in a thin, risk-off market was magnified by algos into AST SpaceMobile and peers; that pressure should now ease. After nearly four months of losses from the SpaceX IPO, macro risk-off, low summer liquidity and share sales, a base is starting to form. Delays or macro risk could still weigh. x.com x.com x.comÂ
SpaceX's heavy spending and risk of further borrowing make its sharp stock rally hard to square with weakening debt and a huge lock-up expiration ahead. Bloomberg reports its bonds weakened and credit spreads widened despite earnings above estimates. Talk of a potential Tesla acquisition is also in the air. x.comÂ
