Elon Musk’s SpaceX Isn’t Even Public — But It’s Reportedly Plotting A 'Sooner Than Normal' Entry Into S&P 500, Nasdaq Indexes

• According to a Wall Street Journal report, advisers for SpaceX have reached out to major index providers to discuss how the company and other startups can join key indexes sooner than normal.
• In general, companies have to wait for at least six months or sometimes up to a year to get an entry into the S&P 500 index.
• On Wednesday, Reuters reported that Nasdaq has proposed a "Fast Entry" rule under which a newly listed company whose market capitalization ranks among the top 40 current index constituents would be eligible for accelerated inclusion.

Elon Musk's SpaceX is shaping up for a blockbuster IPO year, with a flurry of significant developments already in motion, chief among them the reported acquisition of the billionaire's artificial intelligence startup, xAI. Now, the Starlink owner is also said to be exploring ways to fast-track its entry into major U.S. stock indexes.

According to a Wall Street Journal report on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter, SpaceX's advisers have approached leading index providers, including Nasdaq, to discuss how the company can join key indexes "sooner than normal."

In general, companies must wait at least six months, and sometimes up to a year, to be added to the S&P 500 index and must have a minimum market value of $22 billion. SpaceX is reportedly targeting a valuation of more than $1 trillion during its public debut, which could make it the biggest IPO ever.

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that Nasdaq has proposed a "Fast Entry" rule under which a newly listed company whose market capitalization ranks among the top 40 current index constituents would be eligible for accelerated inclusion. The company should have given at least five trading days' notice and entry after 15 sessions.

An Entry Into Mimicking ETFs

Listing on the Nasdaq or S&P 500 also provides these companies with access to ETFs such as the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), which tracks the S&P 500 index, and the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ), which tracks the tech-heavy Nasdaq-100.

The Wall Street Journal noted that several companies have advocated for changes to index methodology and said that allowing newly public companies earlier entry to key indexes could give individual investors earlier exposure via popular exchange-traded funds and index funds.

SPY and QQQ are ETFs designed to track their respective market indexes. The Nasdaq 100 index, which QQQ tracks, hosts companies in the technology, communication, and consumer discretionary sectors. It excludes financial companies and focuses solely on tech- and innovation-based firms.

While the S&P 500 Index, which SPY tracks, looks at a wider range of companies and mostly large-cap firms in the United States.

Recent S&P 500 Entrants

Several companies in 2025 joined the S&P 500 Index, including Robinhood Markets (HOOD), AppLovin (APP), Williams-Sonoma (WSM), Emcor Group (EME), DoorDash (DASH) and Block (XYZ). An addition to the S&P 500 Index has boosted investor optimism in these stocks.

SpaceX’s inclusion in the indexes could help increase retail participation, and the Wall Street Journal reported that the company was looking to skirt traditional rules in an effort to bring liquidity to its shareholders sooner as part of its planned IPO.

How Are Stocktwits Users Reacting?

Retail sentiment on SpaceX was in the ‘bullish’ territory, with message volumes at ‘extremely high’ levels, according to data from Stocktwits.

In the last seven days, retail message volumes on Stocktwits for the stock jumped 50%, and the ticker saw a more than 8% spike in followers on the platform.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

Also See: PayPal Faces Wall Street Wrath As Analysts Slash Price Targets; Retail Calls PYPL ‘Bruised’

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