Space stocks remain volatile as investors continue to weigh growth, earnings, and the opportunities created by the space behemoth SpaceX.
Many space-related stocks peaked in late May, weeks before the June SpaceX IPO, only to lose altitude in the months that followed. Shares of mini-SpaceX Rocket Lab, satellite builder York Space Systems, communications satellite operator AST SpaceMobile, rocket maker Firefly Aerospace, and lunar lander maker Intuitive Machines are down an average of 64% since the end of May.
That group is up an average of 14% month-to-date, helped by earnings. Rocket Lab, Intuitive Machines, and Firefly Aerospace all rose after reporting strong third-quarter numbers.
York Space Systems isn't getting the same reaction to its third-quarter earnings report. Thursday, the company announced third-quarter sales of $84.2 million, down from $90.8 million a year ago, and an Ebitda loss of $27.6 million. The third-quarter 2025 Ebitda loss was $3.4 million.
Wall Street was looking for a $12 million loss from $90 million in sales.
Backlog also dropped 2% from the second quarter to $581 million. Jefferies analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu downgraded shares to Hold from Buy on Friday, citing the lack of new orders.
York stock was down almost 12% in premarket trading at $5.82, while S&P 500 futures were up 0.2%. Coming into Friday trading, the company's shares were down about 80% from its 52-week high of $44.54.
AST stock also dropped after earnings, reported on Nov. 9. Its shares were down about 70% from a 52-week high of almost $134 a share. The company has struggled to get its satellites into orbit, running into problems with launch provider Blue Origin. AST has a dozen operational satellites in orbit. It plans to have dozens more.
AST has made progress. On Nov. 2, AT&T announced the first successful handoff of a call from a terrestrial network to a satellite. AST is AT&T's satellite connectivity partner, providing coverage in rural dead zones.
The handoff was a milestone and hints at ways AT&T can compete with SpaceX, which wants to have its own mobile wireless service. SpaceX has Starlink satellites -- more than 11,1000 in low-Earth orbit -- but it needs more terrestrial infrastructure and wireless spectrum to compete with carriers such as AT&T.
Starlink is SpaceX's space-based broadband product providing internet service for more than 13 million customers in more than 170 countries.
AST needs more launch capacity to finish off its communications constellation. Space launch capacity is constrained these days. There is more stuff people want to put into space than rockets to carry it.
That's been a benefit to Rocket Lab. It announced on Thursday the schedule for its 100th launch. The launch is scheduled for Nov. 14.
Electron is a relatively small rocket carrying about 300 kilograms to space. Its larger Neutron rocket -- still in development -- is expected to launch in 2027. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket can carry 18 to 20 metric tons to space. A SpaceX Starship -- still in development -- can carry 100 tons.
A lot is going on in space. Investors, however, have avoided the stocks lately. Profits would help.
SpaceX's AI and Starlink business are large and profitable, but most space start-ups aren't profitable yet. Wall Street projects full-year profits for AST in 2028, according to FactSet. York is expected to produce profits in 2028, too. Rocket Lab is projected to produce profits in 2029. Profits could come in 2030 for Firefly and Intuitive Machines.
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