Is SpaceX Stock Cheap? 1 Wall Street Analyst Thinks So.

Source Motley_fool

Key Points

  • SpaceX demonstrated robust growth in the second quarter, but it's still reporting losses.

  • SpaceX stock trades at 68 times trailing 12-month sales.

  • Using its expected profit growth to calculate a specific metric, SpaceX stock is cheaper than other large tech stocks.

  • Motley Fool Issues Rare "Total Conviction" Buy Alert ›

When Space Exploration Technologies (NASDAQ: SPCX) went public in June, the market loved the concept, but no one was calling it a bargain. Shares available to the public traded at around 100 times trailing 12-month sales, which is objectively pricey.

The company reported strong growth in its first public earnings report, released in August for the second quarter. As sales went up, the price-to-sales (P/S) ratio has come down, and today, SpaceX stock trades at 68 times sales. However, sometimes valuation is subjective, which is why a company like Palantir Technologies can command a P/S of 87, while Sandisk's multiple is only 12 despite growing much faster.

Missed AI’s "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 15x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our analysts, we’re only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »

There are always other factors that help determine the valuation, and one Wall Street analyst says that SpaceX stock is cheap.

Getting cheaper

SpaceX reported a 92% increase in sales in Q2 2026, its first as a public company. That was driven by all of its segments, which include the SpaceX rocket-launching business, the Starlink satellite broadband business, and the xAI artificial intelligence (AI) business, which grew 55%, 32%, and 213%, respectively. However, only Starlink is profitable right now, and SpaceX reported a total net loss of $541 million.

A rocket taking off.

Image source: Getty Images.

These are promising results, and investors are willing to pay up for what they believe will become a massive player in AI and the space economy. Starlink already has more than 11,000 satellites in space, and the company is developing mini data center satellites using solar energy to provide cheap compute power for AI developers. This would tie all its segments together as SpaceX launches the Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.

Most investors would admit that this is a premium price, but some say it's worth it. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas, however, says that SpaceX stock is "Cheap and Getting Cheaper" as he titled a note last week. According to his calculations, SpaceX stock trades at 30 times 2028's expected profit, nearly double the median of 16 for big tech companies.

However, he makes another calculation that changes this narrative. If you divide 30 by the expected earnings growth rate, you get 0.3, below the 0.5 median for large-cap companies. "Adjusted for growth," he said, "SpaceX is one of the cheaper ways to play the strong optionality of the space and intelligence economy." He sets a $300 price target for SpaceX over the next 12 months, nearly double today's $162 price. That's not the highest target, though; Raymond James analyst Brian Gesuale is looking for $800.

Is SpaceX stock a bargain?

Expected growth should certainly be part of any investor's decision to buy a stock, but it can be risky because it hasn't happened yet. Any forward-looking valuation method is tricky because of that, and even more so an expected growth rate still two years down the line. It's also just one piece of a puzzle, and standard valuation measures like the P/S ratio and the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio shouldn't be ignored.

Jonas seems to be somewhat alone in his assessment that SpaceX is cheap, and investors should factor in his results, but keep in mind that in most ways, SpaceX is expensive and still risky.

Should you buy stock in Space Exploration Technologies right now?

Before you buy stock in Space Exploration Technologies, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Space Exploration Technologies wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $379,123!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,408,822!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 950% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 215% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of October 13, 2026.

Jennifer Saibil has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
placeholder
Market News Today Australia: US Dollar Retreats, Oil Holds Near US$95 as CPI LoomsUS dollar retreats as Fed signals diverge, WTI crude holds near US$95 and gold struggles ahead of US CPI. Read the latest market outlook for Australian traders.
Author  Mitrade Team
20 hours ago
US dollar retreats as Fed signals diverge, WTI crude holds near US$95 and gold struggles ahead of US CPI. Read the latest market outlook for Australian traders.
placeholder
Bitcoin Briefly Tops $84,000 Amid Asian Stock Market Bloodbath: What’s Next?Bitcoin briefly climbed back above $84,000 on October 13 before retreating as a broad Asian equity rout deepened across major markets and dragged global risk appetite lower.The move shows how closely
Author  Beincrypto
22 hours ago
Bitcoin briefly climbed back above $84,000 on October 13 before retreating as a broad Asian equity rout deepened across major markets and dragged global risk appetite lower.The move shows how closely
placeholder
Goldman Crushes Estimates, JPMorgan Misses: What Do Bank Earnings Mean for Stocks?Goldman Sachs beat profit forecasts by 30% on Tuesday as its stock-trading revenue jumped 72%. JPMorgan Chase, the largest US bank, missed on both profit and revenue.Bank results act as an early healt
Author  Beincrypto
22 hours ago
Goldman Sachs beat profit forecasts by 30% on Tuesday as its stock-trading revenue jumped 72%. JPMorgan Chase, the largest US bank, missed on both profit and revenue.Bank results act as an early healt
placeholder
Copper Price Could Hit Record High as Economic Indicators Turn BullishCopper price climbed toward $6.80 per pound on Tuesday, about 2% below its September record. Easing fears of another US rate hike and fresh mining disruptions in Chile are driving the move.On the Lond
Author  Beincrypto
22 hours ago
Copper price climbed toward $6.80 per pound on Tuesday, about 2% below its September record. Easing fears of another US rate hike and fresh mining disruptions in Chile are driving the move.On the Lond
placeholder
Wall Street’s $110 Billion Bond Warning: What It Means for Stocks and BitcoinWall Street’s next selloff could start in the bond market. Veteran strategist Harley Bassman warns that if 20-year US Treasury yields hit 6%, trading rules could unleash pressure equivalent to $110 bi
Author  Beincrypto
22 hours ago
Wall Street’s next selloff could start in the bond market. Veteran strategist Harley Bassman warns that if 20-year US Treasury yields hit 6%, trading rules could unleash pressure equivalent to $110 bi
goTop
quote