SPCX Vs RKLB Vs ASTS Vs PL: Which Space Stock Are Retail Traders Buying After The Selloff?

• SpaceX is nearing its $135 IPO price ahead of Starship Flight 13.
• AST SpaceMobile is preparing three BlueBird satellites for an August launch campaign.
• Rocket Lab completed a key Neutron engine test and is targeting a fourth-quarter 2026 launch.

Retail investors remain optimistic on the space sector even after a sharp selloff, though they are split on which company offers the best buying opportunity.  A Stocktwits poll drawing 1,600 votes found SpaceX (SPCX) and AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) each securing 33% of the vote. Rocket Lab followed with 29%, while Planet Labs attracted just 5%. 

Over the past month, SPCX has fallen 14%, ASTS has dropped 18%, Rocket Lab (RKLB) has declined 25%, and Planet Labs (PL) has lost 17%. 

SPCX, ASTS Lead Retail Dip-Buying Poll 

The weakness in space stocks comes as risk appetite deteriorated on Monday, with the Nasdaq Composite falling 1.6% and crude oil surging 9% amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and renewed inflation concerns.

At the same time, China’s progress in reusable launch tech added another competitive risk. The country’s Long March 10B recently placed a satellite into orbit before its booster was recovered in a net on an offshore platform. Morgan Stanley called China as SpaceX’s most credible long-term challenger, while cautioning that it has yet to prove it can repeatedly launch and refly a recovered booster. The bank maintained an ‘Overweight’ rating and a $300 price target on SpaceX.

SpaceX Slides Toward IPO Price 

SpaceX has fallen to a record low after losing more than 4% in each of the past two sessions. The stock is now down 7% from its first public trade of $150 and is moving closer to its $135 IPO price. The weakness comes despite SpaceX’s recent addition to the Nasdaq-100 and the Federal Aviation Administration closing its review of a Starship booster return failure.

Starship Flight 13 is scheduled no earlier than Thursday, with the mission expected to test recent changes and carry 20 Starlink V3 satellites. A successful flight could revive confidence in SpaceX’s reusability story, while another setback would keep execution risks in focus.

ASTS, RKLB Advance Key Catalysts

The company recently secured a New Zealand gateway license supporting its direct-to-smartphone satellite network. It is also preparing BlueBirds 11, 12 and 13 for an August launch campaign. AST said that its next-gen satellites should deliver nearly twice the peak speeds of its first-generation BlueBirds. The company is targeting 45 satellites by year-end and has agreements with nearly 60 mobile operators covering more than 3 billion subscribers.

Meanwhile, Rocket Lab ranked only four percentage points behind the poll leaders despite six consecutive losing sessions. The company recently completed a full-duration burn of Neutron’s second-stage Archimedes Vacuum engine, calling the test “a thing of beauty.” Rocket Lab said the work was “critical preparation for Neutron’s first flight.” CEO Peter Beck has said the company is “pushing very hard” to launch the reusable rocket in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The company also recently completed its Victus Haze mission for the U.S. Space Force ahead of key deadlines and agreed to acquire Iridium for about $8 billion. Beck has described the combined business as a “fully integrated self-launching space superpower.”

PL Trails Despite Strong Results

Planet Labs received only 5% of the vote despite record quarterly revenue, stronger defense demand and a raised full-year sales outlook. Revenue rose 42% to $94.2 million, while defense and intelligence sales climbed more than 65%. Backlog increased 72% to more than $906 million. The company also launched Pelican-11 last week, a tech demonstrator for its next-gen imaging constellation.

How Do Retail Traders Feel About Space Stocks?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment was ‘bearish’ for SPCX, ASTS, RKLB and PL. Message volume was ‘low’ for SPCX, ASTS and PL, while RKLB saw ‘normal’ activity. 

Over the past year, ASTS is up 48%, RKLB has gained 97%, while PL has surged 333%.

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

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