Updated
Updated · Fortune · Jul 22
SpaceX Jumps 19% in $1.77 Trillion Nasdaq IPO as 500 Million Shares Trade
Updated
Updated · Fortune · Jul 22

SpaceX Jumps 19% in $1.77 Trillion Nasdaq IPO as 500 Million Shares Trade

3 articles · Updated · Fortune · Jul 22

Summary

  • $160.95 was SpaceX’s first-day close after the stock opened at $150 and finished 19% above its $135 IPO price in a Nasdaq debut that traded more than 500 million shares.
  • That frenzy reflects investor fear of missing the next Nvidia, but advisers and IPO specialists say the better move is often to wait because the median IPO sits about 26% below its first-day close three years later.
  • SpaceX’s valuation leaves little room for error: the IPO valued the company at $1.77 trillion, roughly 95 times 2025 revenue of $18.7 billion, while early private investors bought at an average $6.48 a share.
  • Fund managers say lasting winners in this new IPO wave should be judged on revenue, market size and governance—pointing to OpenAI’s $25 billion run rate, Anthropic’s roughly $47 billion, and SpaceX’s Musk-controlled voting structure.

Insights

Is SpaceX a once-in-a-generation IPO, or a governance-heavy stock already priced for perfection on day one?
Are the real winners in the AI and space boom the headline IPOs, or the quieter picks-and-shovels companies behind them?
If Anthropic and OpenAI have huge revenue, what happens to their valuations if AI price wars crush margins?