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Just For You

Space Stock Boom: Why Retail and Wall Street Are Aligning

By Jeffrey Neal Johnson. First Published: 1/27/2026. 

For the last five years, the dynamic between retail and institutional investors has often felt like a battle. Retail traders chased hype, while institutions stuck to fundamentals. Because the two strategies are fundamentally different, these groups frequently found themselves on opposite sides of trades.

But 2026 has brought upheaval that could change how some participants play the market. According to a new report from J.P. Morgan (NYSE: JPM), retail traders have migrated away from the meme stocks and artificial intelligence(AI) plays of the past. Retail trading’s latest obsession is the space technology sector.

In prior years, Wall Street’s top firms might have warned against following the crowd. This time, however, smart money appears to be following the retail trend. On January 16, 2026, Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) issued a report that effectively validated the entire sector, signaling that the Orbital Economy is no longer a science project but an industrial asset class ready for harvest.

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Key Takeaways

• Retail enthusiasm and Wall Street research are converging around space technology stocks in 2026.
• Rocket Lab and AST SpaceMobile sit at the center of the momentum, but each carries very different risk.
• For broader exposure with less single-event volatility, a space-focused ETF can offer a more balanced approach.

When Main Street enthusiasm meets Wall Street validation, it creates a powerful setup for stock-price appreciation. Let’s break down the specific stocks at the center of this rare alignment.

Rocket Lab: The Apple of Space Gets an Upgrade

Rocket Lab USA (NASDAQ: RKLB) exemplifies this new market unity. For years it has been a retail favorite thanks to a transparent CEO and frequent launches. Now institutions are catching up.

Rocket Lab received two significant analyst upgrades within a week. On January 16, 2026, Morgan Stanley upgraded the company to Overweight and raised its price target to $105. That was followed on January 20, 2026, by Bank of America, which doubled its price target from $60 to $120.

Together, those banks pushed the consensus price target to about $112.50, implying meaningful upside from the stock’s recent trading range near $86. Analysts cited Rocket Lab’s transition from a small-rocket launcher to a large-scale infrastructure provider as the key catalyst.

Navigating the Turbulence

The stock recently faced a test. On January 21, 2026, the company experienced a structural failure during a pressure test of its new Neutron rocket tank—news that might once have triggered a panic sell-off.

Instead, the stock proved resilient, falling only about 10%. Why? Rocket Lab has a substantial backstop: an $816 million contract with the Space Development Agency (SDA). Progress elsewhere—like the arrival of the new Hungry Hippo payload fairings at the launch site—also reassures investors. The combination of government backing and tangible program milestones makes it easier for the market to look past temporary testing setbacks.

AST SpaceMobile: Squeezing the Skeptics

If Rocket Lab is the steady industrial play, AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) is the high-octane battleground. The company is attempting a technological feat many thought impossible: connecting standard cell phones directly to satellites for broadband data.

Understanding the Short Squeeze

AST SpaceMobile is trading around $108 and remains one of the market’s most controversial names. Roughly 15–16% of its float is sold short.

Short selling is a bet that a stock will fall. When a heavily shorted stock receives positive news, the price can jump, forcing short sellers to buy stock to cover losses. That buying pushes the price even higher in a feedback loop known as a short squeeze.

The February Catalyst

The fuse for a potential squeeze could be lit soon. Investors are focused on late February 2026, when the BlueBird 7 satellite is scheduled to launch on a Blue Origin rocket.

After the launch, the company plans to activate beta commercial service with AT&T (NYSE: T) in the first half of the year. If these satellites deliver high-speed data to unmodified phones as promised, the skeptical bear case would weaken significantly. While insiders like American Tower (NYSE: AMT) have sold some shares to lock in gains after a run-up, the retail base has largely held the line, waiting for this moment of truth.

The Runners: Real Revenue, Real Rockets

For investors who prefer balance sheets over buzz, the space sector offers two quieter, financially robust options.

Planet Labs: The Data Machine

Planet Labs (NYSE: PL) is often described as the Bloomberg Terminal for Earth observation. The company launches satellites and sells the data those satellites collect.

• The Sovereign Shift: Governments are increasingly focused on geopolitical stability, driving demand for sovereign cloud data—dedicated intelligence tailored to specific nations.
• The Scoreboard: That demand helped Planet Labs deliver $81.3 million in revenue last quarter. With recent launches of Pelican-5 and Pelican-6, the company is upgrading its product as demand peaks.

Intuitive Machines: The Lunar Leader

Intuitive Machines (NASDAQ: LUNR) stands out as one of the few growth companies with a fortress balance sheet.

• Cash is King: The company holds more than $600 million in cash and carries very little debt—an advantage in a high-interest-rate environment.
• The Next Mission: Trading near $20, the stock is positioned for the IM-2 and IM-3 lunar missions in the first half of 2026. With ample cash reserves, Intuitive Machines can better weather delays, making it a lower-risk way to gain exposure to the emerging lunar economy.

Don’t Pick the Winner: Buy the Whole Race

Space investing is exciting but volatile. Rockets fail, tests stumble, and delays are common. For investors who want exposure without sweating every launch window, the Procure Space ETF (NASDAQ: UFO) is a logical choice.

This exchange-traded fund functions like a basket, holding shares of Rocket Lab, AST SpaceMobile, Planet Labs, and other global players, including MDA Space (a prominent international space company).

• The Trade-off: You probably won’t see a 50% one-day gain like you might with AST SpaceMobile.
• The Benefit: If one company has a bad week, the others can help support the portfolio.
• The Numbers: The fund trades around $47 and has returned roughly +92% over the past year. It also pays a small dividend of about 0.36%, providing modest income while the sector matures.

The Era of Concept Stocks Is Over

The convergence of the J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley analyses with retail enthusiasm is notable. Rarely do the models of the world’s largest banks align so neatly with broad public excitement.

The Orbital Economy has graduated from presentations and promises to tangible revenue, launched rockets, and signed contracts. Volatility will remain, but the trend is clear: space is open for business, and Wall Street is buying tickets.

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