SpaceX IPO Sparks 50% Share Jump, AST SpaceMobile and Virgin Galactic Shorts Climb
SPCX•SpaceX stock has risen 50% since its $135 IPO debut, briefly surpassing Microsoft and Amazon in market cap. AST SpaceMobile’s short interest climbed 41% to 54 million shares and Virgin Galactic’s surged 86% to 28 million, making them the sector’s highest-conviction bearish trades.
1. SpaceX IPO Performance
SpaceX launched its IPO at $135 per share and has since jumped 50%, momentarily overtaking Microsoft and surpassing Amazon in market capitalization. The listing has established Elon Musk as the first potential trillionaire and reshaped investor access to the space sector’s leader.
2. AST SpaceMobile and Virgin Galactic Shorts
AST SpaceMobile now has 54 million shares sold short, a 41% year-to-date increase, while Virgin Galactic’s short position stands at 28 million shares, up 86%. These levels reflect the highest conviction bearish bets as investors reposition after SpaceX’s debut.
3. Sector Dynamics and Borrowing Costs
With SpaceX public, investors can directly gain exposure to the industry at borrowing costs estimated between 1% and 3% annually. This shift removes the need to rely on smaller proxies and has reordered short-interest rankings based on business maturity rather than the broader "space" label.
4. Other Space Stocks’ Short Trends
Intuitive Machines’ passive ownership has surged 101% YTD, outpacing its 34% short-interest build, while Rocket Lab and Viasat have seen shorts retreat by 22% and 26%, respectively. These moves highlight a diverging landscape of bearish and bullish conviction across space companies.
