Markets

SpaceX's mega rally is hitting its first stumble

SpaceX Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen  in the center and President Gwynne Shotwell to his right celebrate as they ring the opening bell at the Nasdaq MarketSite to celebrate the launch of SpaceX's initial public offering.
SpaceX executives celebrate the company's record-breaking IPO on Friday. TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images
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SpaceX's post-IPO mega-rally has hit its first slowdown.

Shares in Elon Musk's rocket company, which raised a record $75 billion when it went public last week, had dropped nearly 5% on market close on Wednesday, its first down day since the offering on June 12. The slide continued on Thursday, with the stock down 10% to $172.11. Shares are still up 27% from the IPO price of $135.

The drop ended a monster share price rally that had seen SpaceX's market cap soar to nearly $3 trillion in its first days of trading, eclipsing Amazon as the world's fifth most valuable company and cementing Musk's status as the world's first trillionaire.

The company enjoyed a nearly flawless debut on the public markets, with shares popping 19% on their first day of trading amid feverish enthusiasm from retail investors and Wall Street institutions.

SpaceX has been busy since its history-making IPO, announcing a $60 billion deal for AI coding startup Cursor on Tuesday.

The all-stock acquisition, which saw SpaceX exercise an option to purchase Cursor that it agreed to in April, is a sign of how the company is utilizing its post-IPO surge. Pershing Square founder Bill Ackman said the deal cost "materially less in dilution" due to SpaceX's high valuation.

SpaceX's valuation had been questioned by some analysts in the run-up to the IPO. The company posted a $4.9 billion loss in 2025 on revenue of $18.7 billion, way below the revenue recorded by other multi-trillion-dollar tech giants like Google and Amazon.

SpaceX, which also absorbed Musk's AI startup xAI in February, is betting on new markets for AI data centers in space to drive growth.

The company told investors that its total addressable market was worth $28.5 trillion, roughly the size of US GDP in 2024. On Sunday, Musk said that SpaceX's revenue may reach $1 trillion by 2030.

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Tom Carter
Tom Carter is a reporter at Business Insider's London office, covering tech with a focus on Tesla, SpaceX, and robotics. His work includes deeply-reported features, breaking news, and scoops on some of the world’s largest companies.Get an alert whenever this author publishes a story.He can be reached using the secure messaging app Signal (tcarter.41) or email (tcarter@jkmperu.com). We can keep sources anonymous.
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Samuel O'Brient
Samuel O'Brient is an experienced financial markets and business journalist who has written extensively on a wide range of topics involving economics, technology and public policy. At Business Insider, he covers important macro and micro economic stories, including takes from leading economists and hedge fund managers, breaking IPOscorporate bankruptcies, meme stocks and short-selling. He also writes on other markets such as crypto, oil and real estate.He has interviewed many of the market’s most influential voices, ranging from top economists such as Mark Zandi and Richard Thaler to prominent investors including Danny Moses, Andrew Left, Anthony Scaramucci, Louis Navellier and Grant Cardone.Programs such as LiveNOW from Fox , Taking Stock and Ticker News have had Samuel on to discuss stock market and economic developments. His reporting has been cited by The New York Times DealBook, Bloomberg Radio, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Gizmodo and TheFutureParty.Samuel began at InvestorPlace, covering investing, retail trading and macro economic trends. Prior to joining Business Insider,  he served as a technology markets reporter at TheStreet. He is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Trinity College Dublin.Samuel's work has appeared in publications such as TipRanks, EV and Observer. When he isn't chasing down stories, he can often be found browsing book and record shops. To reach Samuel, email him at sobrient@insider.com or connect with him on LinkedIn. He is also on Signal as Samuel Clemens.