This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX) stock faces another major supply test as roughly 319 million shares become eligible for trading on Aug. 20, just as technical indicators point to weakening momentum. The unlock could increase near-term selling pressure after a volatile post-IPO run, although the stock’s surprising reaction to an even larger unlock earlier this month shows that newly tradable shares do not necessarily translate into immediate selling.
SpaceX is Elon Musk’s aerospace company, operating the Falcon rocket family, Dragon spacecraft and Starlink satellite-internet network. The company generates revenue from commercial and government launches, NASA missions and Starlink subscriptions and services.
The latest unlock follows the expiration of restrictions on roughly 911 million shares on Aug. 6. Instead of falling, SPCX gained more than 6% that day and nearly 16% the following session, suggesting investors absorbed the additional potential supply.
Still, the stock has experienced dramatic swings since its June IPO at $135. Shares initially climbed to a post-IPO high of $225.64 before falling below $105. SPCX remains about 38% below its record high.
Technical momentum has also weakened. TipRanks’ one-day technical consensus currently signals Sell, with three bearish indicators, one neutral and two bullish. Moving averages, however, remain Neutral, suggesting the technical picture is not uniformly negative.
Supply risk will not disappear after Thursday. Another roughly 319 million shares are expected to become eligible in September, with further releases afterward. By December, around 40% of SpaceX’s outstanding shares could be freely tradable.
Investors Takeaway
Trading volume is the critical metric around the latest unlock. A surge in volume accompanied by falling prices would suggest early shareholders are taking advantage of the expiration to exit positions. Strong volume with stable or rising prices would instead signal healthy demand absorbing the supply.
Investors should also watch whether SPCX can hold above its $135 IPO price. Losing that level would represent a meaningful deterioration in post-IPO sentiment.
Wall Street remains considerably more optimistic over the longer term. The consensus price target of $228.59 implies about 64% upside, with analysts carrying a Moderate Buy rating.
For now, the tension is straightforward: potentially rising share supply and bearish short-term momentum are colliding with bullish analyst expectations and evidence that investors successfully absorbed an even larger unlock earlier this month.