AST SpaceMobile Surges 8%; Virgin Galactic, Rocket Lab Ride the SpaceX IPO Wave

Shares of AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) are up 8% in midday trading on May 27, changing hands near $129. The satellite direct-to-cell name is leading a space-sector sympathy rally tied to SpaceX IPO buzz.

The move extends an already torrid run. ASTS stock is up 78% year to date (YTD), making it the headline mover in a basket where Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB | RKLB Price Prediction) and Virgin Galactic (NYSE:SPCE) are riding the same halo trade.

Investors are treating publicly traded space names as the only liquid way to play SpaceX enthusiasm ahead of a potential listing. ASTS stock is the headline mover today, with SPCE and RKLB stocks as the supporting cast on the SpaceX pre-IPO halo trade.

AST SpaceMobile: Direct-to-Cell Catalyst Stacking

AST SpaceMobile carries a $41 billion market cap and a credible roadmap. The company has about 60 mobile network operator (MNO) partners covering 3 billion-plus subscribers and is targeting roughly 45 BlueBird satellites in orbit by year-end 2026, with BlueBird 8-10 set to launch in mid-June on a Falcon 9.

AST SpaceMobile’s Q1 2026 results were messy. Revenue of $14.73 million missed estimates by 60%, and EPS came in at -$0.66. Management reaffirmed FY2026 revenue guidance of $150 million to $200 million.

CEO Abel Avellan proudly declared:

AST SpaceMobile is accelerating manufacturing, regulatory progress, commercial partnerships, and government programs, furthering our position as the only technology positioned to capture the massive direct to device broadband opportunity in full.

There is a bear case to keep in mind, however, Analyst consensus pegs the ASTS stock price target at $83.47, well below the current quote, and insiders have logged 21 recent transactions skewing toward net selling.

Rocket Lab: The SpaceX Competitor Trade

Rocket Lab stock is up 4% today, with the ticker now sporting a 112% YTD gain. The S-1 from SpaceX explicitly names Rocket Lab as a competitor “in the small-lift launch market but expanding into medium-lift payloads,” which is exactly the bull thesis here.

Rocket Lab’s Q1 2026 numbers were clean. Revenue hit $200.35 million, up 64% year over year (YoY), and backlog grew to $2.2 billion. Q2 2026 revenue guidance of $225 million to $240 million and a Q4 2026 Neutron debut anchor the forward story, alongside selection for the Golden Dome Space Based Interceptor program with Raytheon.

Polymarket bettors are leaning bullish. The same-day market gives 94% odds that RKLB closes green today, and the May modal price target sits at $156 with a 58% probability.

Virgin Galactic: The Speculative Tail

Virgin Galactic shares are up 4% to $3.66, but context matters. The company’s market cap is roughly $386 million.

Virgin Galactic’s Q1 2026 revenue was just $227,000 with EPS of -$0.81. CEO Michael Colglazier flagged that the first new SpaceShip has been delivered to the Test-and-Launch hangar, with flight testing targeted for Q3 2026 and a commercial spaceflight slated for Q4 2026. SPCE stock is potentially the highest-risk slot in the basket, a pre-revenue suborbital story sensitive to any slip in that timeline.

What to Watch

The setup hinges on whether the SpaceX IPO narrative produces concrete filing details. Reddit sentiment on ASTS already shows signs of cooling, with activity scores dropping to 13-14 on May 27 after mid-week peaks above 60.

Prudent investors may want to size their positions modestly given how stretched the one-month moves look across the group. RKLB stock is up 80% in a month, ASTS stock is up 67%, and SPCE stock is up 44%. Watch for whether today’s gains hold into the close and whether any SpaceX S-1 timing leaks hit the tape tomorrow.