Space stocks are soaring into 2026, driven by a potential SpaceX IPO and an executive order signed by President Donald Trump.
Investors will likely start looking for undervalued space stocks, according to Procure Holdings CEO Andrew Chanin. The Procure Space ETF (NASDAQ:UFO) focuses on pure-play space stocks and provides investors with exposure to a basket of space-sector stocks.
"We've seen opportunities for those willing investors that go and look at these companies," Chanin told Benzinga. A SpaceX IPO, he says, could "definitely pose a potential benefit for this industry."
EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ:SATS) could benefit from a SpaceX IPO, Chanin says. The company has private stock in SpaceX through a recent deal for the company's spectrum.
"I think people might start to price a company like EchoStar, looking at that position and using any range of values," Chanin told Benzinga.
EchoStar recently acquired SpaceX equity at a valuation below the current $800 billion and below the $1.5 trillion range floated for a potential IPO.
"People might start plugging a value of what this position would be, and as part of the calculation for what the value of EchoStar is or would be."
Chanin says EchoStar's spectrum was valued at next to nothing as some investors believed the company would have to give it back to the government. Instead, they were able to land several multibillion-dollar deals, including one that got them SpaceX private stock.
EchoStar is the third-largest position in the Procure Space ETF, accounting for 4.8% of assets.
Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) is another company Chanin highlighted in the interview. The top holding in the Procure Space ETF is at 5.4% of assets.
"Rocket Lab does have some competing business (with SpaceX)," Chanin said. The company is not focusing solely on launch and is expanding into areas such as satellite and manufacturing.
"SpaceX being in the public market would give a better kind of peer analysis that people could do when there's more information available."
Chanin also singled out AST SpaceMobile Inc (NASDAQ:ASTS) as a space company that may be "completely misunderstood" by many investors and could benefit from the SpaceX IPO and more attention on the sector.
The company was trading at $2.50 a year and a half ago and then saw gains of over 1,000% following several announcements and increased visibility into what the company was doing, Chanin added.
AST SpaceMobile is the seventh-largest holding in the Procure Space ETF at 4.3% of assets.
A SpaceX IPO would be the largest offering for a space-related stock in history. Still, there were several major IPOs in 2025 for the space sector, although they’re "far from household names."
For example, Firefly Aerospace (NASDAQ:FLY) and Voyager Technologies (NYSE:VOYG) went public in August and June, respectively.
"Firefly did come out with a little bit more fanfare than Voyager," Chanin said.
Chanin also praised Voyager founder Dylan Taylor during the interview.
"Is he the next Elon Musk?” Chanin asked. “I don't know, but he does have a really strong vision and passion and I wouldn't be shocked if it's a misunderstood company because they're involved in so many different areas."
But a SpaceX IPO could create "more fanfare" for these two recent public companies, he added.
"People might be overlooking these companies and most people probably don't' know about what these companies are, what they do, who runs them, what their visions are for the future, and how they play into the broader overall space race."
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