August 6, 2026
SpaceX shares recovered sharply on Thursday after suffering a major selloff following the company’s latest earnings report, but investors remained cautious as a new wave of insider shares became eligible for trading.
Shares of SpaceX rose about 6.4% to $115.20 on Thursday after falling as much as 2.9% earlier in the session. The rebound followed a 13.6% plunge on Wednesday, reflecting investor concerns about the company’s spending plans and its outlook following its first quarterly earnings report as a publicly traded company.
The stock’s latest move comes as SpaceX enters an important phase of its post-IPO trading history. Unlike the standard 180-day lockup used by many newly listed companies, SpaceX adopted a staggered arrangement that allows some shareholders to sell portions of their previously restricted stock earlier.
Under the first stage of that arrangement, up to 20% of restricted shares became eligible for sale on Thursday, the second trading day following the company’s second-quarter earnings release. The availability of those shares could significantly increase the amount of SpaceX stock circulating in the market.
Investors watch for insider selling
The expiration of a lockup does not automatically mean that employees, executives or early investors will sell their shares. However, investors often view such events cautiously because a sudden increase in the supply of tradable stock can put pressure on a share price, particularly when market sentiment is already weak.
Some analysts believe the impact could be limited if existing shareholders choose to hold their positions. Others warn that employees and early investors may use the opportunity to take profits or redirect capital into other investments.
The additional supply could therefore keep SpaceX’s stock volatile even if actual insider selling remains relatively modest.
Stock remains well below IPO price
The rebound on Thursday has done little to reverse SpaceX’s broader decline since its public debut.
SpaceX went public in June at $135 a share, but its stock has remained below that level for three consecutive weeks. The company briefly enjoyed a spectacular post-IPO rally that pushed its valuation close to $3 trillion, but that momentum has since reversed.
Since its June 12 debut, SpaceX shares have lost more than a quarter of their value, while the Nasdaq Composite has gained about 2.2% over the same period. The contrast highlights how dramatically investor sentiment toward the newly public company has changed.
AI spending becomes a major investor concern
One of the key issues emerging from SpaceX’s earnings report is the cost of its growing artificial-intelligence ambitions.
The company has disclosed substantial spending requirements related to AI infrastructure, including data centers and computer chips. Investors are now weighing whether those investments will generate sufficient returns and how much they could affect SpaceX’s financial performance in the years ahead.
The concerns have added another layer of uncertainty to a company that was already trading at an extremely high valuation following its IPO.
Despite those worries, SpaceX continues to attract investors who believe its long-term prospects outweigh near-term financial pressures. Supporters point to the company’s efficiency in rocket launches and satellite operations and argue that the same approach could eventually be applied to its AI infrastructure business.
Long-term investors remain optimistic
Not all investors are interpreting the recent decline as a fundamental deterioration in SpaceX’s prospects.
Some long-term shareholders continue to view the company as a potentially transformative business spanning space launches, satellite communications and artificial intelligence. Their argument is that short-term stock volatility matters less than SpaceX’s ability to build large businesses over the next decade.
Elon Musk has previously said SpaceX could eventually generate $1 trillion in annual revenue by 2030, an ambitious target that underscores the scale of the company’s long-term plans.
For now, however, investors face a more immediate question: whether the latest share unlock will lead to significant insider selling.
If large numbers of newly eligible shares reach the market, SpaceX could face additional downward pressure. If shareholders largely hold onto their stock, the unlock could pass with less disruption and potentially allow investors to refocus on the company’s underlying business.
The combination of a sharp post-earnings decline, concerns over AI spending and the newly available insider shares means SpaceX is likely to remain one of the most closely watched stocks in the market in the weeks ahead.
