Topics Market Pulse

SpaceX IPO: Will it soar or crash on day 1?

Beginner
Market Pulse
Daily Bits
Jun 12, 2026

SpaceX stocks are set to launch out into the public markets today - Friday, June 12.

Here's what we know leading up to the biggest IPO in history:

Also, Elon Musk is not yet a Trillionaire.

At the time of writing (before SpaceX shares begin trading publicly), Musk is worth US$ 970.5 billion on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index - still the runaway leader.

However, Musk may yet attain Trillionaire status if SpaceX soars today.

Pre-IPO demand was reportedly 4 times greater than available shares

  • Retail investors reportedly sent in US$100 billion in orders for the allocated 20%

  • Over 1,000 institutional investors, from BlackRock to sovereign wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar, are also jostling for a piece of the pie with anchor orders around US$10 billion each

Such a frenzy pre-IPO suggests a lot of investor demand, or at least anticipation, ahead of this mega-IPO!

FYI: SpaceX's official name is actually "Space Exploration Technologies Corp."

However, the most pressing question for traders and investors worldwide right now ...

SpaceX stocks on day 1: To the moon?

To be clear, we never lay claim to having a crystal ball, nor do we offer financial advice.

But as food for thought, here's how various corners of the global financial markets predict SpaceX may settle by the end of day 1 after debuting at $135 each:

  • Over $152: Prediction markets place a 70% chance that SpaceX will be valued more than US$ 2 trillion by the end of today (vs. $1.77T IPO market cap)
  • $180: Perpetual futures on a major defi crypto venue
  • $182: Derivatives offered by a popular online brokerage

Even Bybit's own SpaceX-linked perp, SPCXUSDT (now delisted) soared to as high as $220.35 when it was first offered on May 21st.

However, SPCXUSDT prices then started adjusting lower in early-June, closer in line with media reports of a $135 IPO price for each SpaceX stock.

That $135 listing price was duly confirmed on Thursday, June 11th.

June_9_-_SPCXUSDT.png

Overall, shadow markets are predicting a day-1 pop of 13-35%, valuing SpaceX between US$ 2.0 trillion - 2.4 trillion by the end of today (Friday, June 12)!

To be certain, such pre-IPO activity, especially in shadow markets, do not directly impact the actual stock's price moves today.

After all, liquidity is notably thinner on these platforms compared to the Nasdaq (which will host SpaceX stocks), leaving shadow markets exposed to an outsized influence of fewer traders and speculators, especially if leverage is involved.

But what about the experts, what do they say?

Wall Street's 12-month forecasts SpaceX stocks

All 3 analysts who have already initiated coverage on Bloomberg for SpaceX have a BUY call on the stock.

And over the next 12 months, the outlook looks bullish in their views:

  • KGI Securities Co (analyst: Rob Chang): $227
  • Oppenheimer (analyst: Timothy Horan): $190
  • New Street Research (analyst: Pierre Ferragu): $165
As an average, these analysts predict that SpaceX stocks by this time in 2027 could rise a further 43.7% above its $135 IPO price!

Could SpaceX stocks sink on IPO day?

Then, there are the critics:

  • Veteran short seller, Jim Chanos, describes the SpaceX debut as a "hopes-and-dreams IPO".
  • Morningstar analyst, Nicholas Owens, values SpaceX shares at $63 each, while giving just a 7% chance that the Starship project will be commercially viable.
  • Sustainability-focused fund managers in the US, UK, and Denmark are staying away from the SpaceX IPO, concerned about Elon Musk's iron grip on the company (Musk has over 80% of voting rights).

SpaceX IPO: $135 per stock - already too "expensive" or still "cheap"?

And that's the multi-trillion dollar question, which depends on the investor's timeframe (short-term vs. long-term), their risk appetite, and ultimately their outlook on SpaceX's fortunes.

After all, SpaceX claims a total addressable market (TAM) a.k.a. maximum revenue ceiling of US$ 28.5 trillion - the biggest ever stated TAM in history - and intends to put AI data centers and even humans in space!

In an attempt to weigh in on this debate, let's use some fundamental analysis.

According to forecasts by Bloomberg Intelligence, here's a quick price-to-sales comparison:

DECODE: Price-to-sales is a ratio that basically shows how many dollars an investor has to pay to access $1 of the company's revenue.

NOTE: ASTS was also featured in our May 21st report, and has climbed 1.4% since that report was published.

The list above suggests that SpaceX is a relatively "cheaper" space/satellite company, but an "expensive" AI/neocloud investment.

It really boils down to whether markets view SpaceX as an AI, space, industrial, or telecom company.

And there's no easy nor straightforward answer to that at present - though the pre-IPO clamour suggests that investors apparently aren't paying too much mind to tidy industry classifications at the moment.

What's the verdict? We'll find out soon

There's plenty more that's already been written about this SpaceX IPO, including:

  • how to properly value and classify SpaceX as a company, as we attempted earlier in this report
  • using past mega-IPO price actions (the bigger the IPO, the quicker post-IPO gains are given up - according to Barron's) to predict how SpaceX shares may perform today
  • trying to decipher whether this IPO is just an exit scheme for early investors in SpaceX, leaving retail investors to hold the bag, though Bybit Learn notes that:
    • SpaceX could be added to the Nasdaq 100 index as early as 15 trading days after IPO day (drawing in fresh demand from passive funds)
    • There's a staggered ramp-up in floating shares over the next 12 months (lessened risk of a huge tsunami of selling on IPO day)
    • Elon Musk has a 366-day lock-up (he cannot sell his SpaceX shares until a year out)

READ MORE (published May 21): Elon Musk set to be world’s first Trillionaire on SpaceX IPO!

However, attempts to use history and industry peers as comparisons may prove lacking - given vastly different market sentiment, drivers, and risks today compared to during mega-IPOs of yester-years.

After all, this is the biggest IPO in history - all else pales in comparison, especially in terms of day-1 valuations.

The good news is, we won't have to wait much longer to find out whether SpaceX shares will rise or fall today.

In just a few hours, the public markets are set to pass judgement on what SpaceX should be worth today.

Regardless of a debut pop or bust, what's more certain is this: SpaceX has to keep delivering on its lofty ambitions, especially on its space-based AI projects, to sustain multi-trillion dollar valuations over the longer run.

Whether as an active market participant or as a market spectator on the sidelines, the SpaceX IPO - and its future share price performance - is a must-watch event.

READ MORE (published June 9): Battle of the Mega IPOs 2026: SpaceX vs. Anthropic vs. OpenAI

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided for general information and reflects the author's views only. It does not constitute investment advice, nor an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any financial instruments or digital assets. Your ability to access or use any products or services mentioned may be subject to the laws and regulatory requirements of your jurisdiction.