Redwire Stock Has Gained Over 40% In A Month — A Look At How Defense Contracts, SpaceX IPO Buzz Boosted Investor Sentiment

• The company secured a $15-million follow-on UAS order from the US Army, marking its third contract from the unit in eight months.
• Redwire also won an eight-figure deal to supply its Penguin Mk3 system to a NATO ally.
• Traders are also discussing RDW stock’s long-term potential as a supplier ahead of the SpaceX IPO.

Shares of Redwire Corp. (RDW) jumped nearly 16% in early trading on Friday and have gained over 65% in a month, as the company drew fresh investor attention following a string of high-value defense contract wins and growing optimism around its positioning in the expanding space economy.

With excitement building ahead of a highly anticipated SpaceX IPO, traders are increasingly viewing Redwire as a potential key supplier in the broader space and defense infrastructure ecosystem.

US Army Boosts Orders With $15-Million Follow-On Contract

Redwire said on May 20 that it has secured a $15 million follow-on order from the 1st Aviation Brigade at the US Army Aviation Center of Excellence for its Stalker unmanned aerial systems. 

This marks the third order from the unit in the past eight months, bringing total recent awards to $24.8 million. The systems will support advanced training for US Army tactical UAS specialists at Fort Huachuca. 

NATO Ally Contract Adds Multi-Year Growth Visibility

This week, the company also won a multi-year, high eight-figure contract from a NATO ally to supply its Penguin Mk3 unmanned aerial system as part of a broader modernization program.

Management said the deal reinforces Redwire’s role in delivering scalable, combat-tested drone systems to meet evolving defense needs.

 A few days ago, Jefferies raised its price target on Redwire to $13 from $12 while maintaining a ‘Buy’ rating, citing improving demand trends despite mixed Q1 results.

RDW Stock: What Does Retail Think?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment remains “extremely bullish,” unchanged over the past 24 hours. Message volume also stayed “extremely high,” consistent with the previous day.

A major driver of the retail chatter is speculation around the upcoming SpaceX IPO, with traders linking Redwire’s long-term upside to broader space-sector momentum.

One bullish trader on Stocktwits said they expect $RDW to break its all-time high before the SpaceX IPO.

RDW stock has gained nearly 150% year-to-date. 

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