SpaceX Stock Slips to $135 Before Starship Launch: Can Rocket Recovery Lift It?

As SpaceX prepares for the first Starship test launch since its IPO, its stock has cratered to $135—the exact price of its June offering. For the space industry, this test is more than a technical milestone; it’s a real-time referendum on whether public markets truly buy into Musk’s interplanetary narrative. With the company’s market value hanging in the balance, the pressure on the rocket's performance is immense.

SpaceX’s stock slipped back to its $135 initial public offering price on July 15, 2026, exactly one month after its blockbuster debut that raised nearly $86 billion. The shares, which had peaked above $200 in the days after the June 12 IPO, briefly dipped below $133 intraday before clawing back to close at $135.27. This steady erosion reflects a confluence of factors: an exceptionally small public float of just 4% of total shares, a broader tech stock rout, and growing market skepticism about CEO Elon Musk’s interplanetary ambitions. The company’s post-IPO bonds have also declined, indicating that credit markets share the unease.

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The shares, which had peaked above $200 in the days after the June 12 IPO, briefly dipped below $133 intraday before clawing back to close at $135.27.

The minute float—only 4% of the company is trading on the Nasdaq—has amplified every swing. While it initially helped drive the stock to dizzying heights that rivaled Amazon and Microsoft in market cap, it now works in reverse, as each small sell order can cascade. This structural quirk means the reported price may not reflect a fully price-discovered market, making the stock both a speculative toy and a litmus test for Musk’s narrative.

The broader context is a deflation in tech stocks over the past month. Once-buoyant growth names have been repriced as interest rates stay elevated and investors shift toward value. SpaceX, with its audacious Starship program and long-term revenue projections, is particularly vulnerable to this rotation. The stock’s decline from $200 to near-below-issue price in five weeks signals that the market is resetting expectations from “visionary” to “what have you done lately?”

The timing is precarious: on July 16, SpaceX will conduct its first Starship test launch since the IPO. This rocket is the centerpiece of Musk’s vision for Mars colonization and cheap orbital access. A success could reignite investor enthusiasm overnight; a failure would validate the bear case and compound the sell-off. The test therefore carries outsized weight for the stock’s short-term trajectory.