Archer Aviation Stock Fell Below $5. Time to Buy?

When a promising growth stock falls below $5, investors usually split into two camps. Some see a broken investment. Others see a once-in-a-decade opportunity.

Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) has become one of those stocks. The company is developing electric flying taxis that could one day carry passengers above congested roads, cutting hour-long commutes into minutes. If that vision becomes reality, Archer could help create an entirely new mode of transportation.

That possibility explains why some investors believe buying the stock below $5 could yield life-changing returns. But here's the reality. Buying a stock at a low price doesn't make you rich. Buying a company that successfully executes on a massive opportunity does.

For Archer Aviation, that's exactly what investors need to decide.

Image source: Getty Images.

The opportunity is certainly big enough

Few young companies are chasing an opportunity as ambitious as Archer. The company wants to make short-distance air travel as accessible as booking a ride today. Instead of spending an hour in traffic, passengers could travel between airports, business districts, and city centers in electric aircraft designed for frequent urban trips.

If successful, the market could be enormous. Some analysts estimate urban air mobility could eventually become a $1 trillion industry. Given the size of the opportunity, Archer doesn't need to dominate that market to reward shareholders. Even becoming one of several successful operators could transform the business over the next decade.

Still, investors should remember one important lesson. A massive market creates potential. It does not, however, guarantee success.

The next challenge is building a business, not just an aircraft

Over the past few years, Archer has made meaningful progress. It has advanced through FAA certification, has expanded manufacturing, and is on its way to launching its service in the U.S. this year. Those milestones deserve recognition. But they don't answer the question investors care about most: Can Archer build a profitable business?

Operating a commercial aviation business is far more complex than designing an aircraft. Archer still needs to complete certification, launch commercial operations, attract paying customers, operate reliably, and eventually generate attractive returns.

In other words, the company must prove that flying taxis are not only technologically possible but also economically viable. That transition, from engineering challenge to business execution, will probably determine whether Archer becomes a long-term winner -- or not.

Don't overlook dilution

Even if Archer executes well, investors face another important risk: equity dilution. Archer has invested enormous capital in developing its flying taxi, primarily by issuing shares. While it has so far done a good job of securing enough liquidity -- it had $1.8 billion in cash on March 31 -- there's no guarantee that that cash will be sufficient to get it from its current state to profitability.

In other words, it may still need to raise further capital -- either from equity or debt. The former will lead to further dilution of existing investors.

Here's the thing. A dilution in shareholding is not necessarily a bad thing, provided that management can create enormous value down the road. Think of it as sharing a bigger cake with more people. While the ownership might have shrunk, but each slice of cake is still larger than it was when the cake was smaller.

The key to watch is whether commercialization takes longer than expected -- or costs more than management anticipates. If it does, there is a risk that future capital raising could dilute more than the value creation.

In short, investors shouldn't simply ask whether Archer will succeed. They should ask whether today's shareholders will fully benefit if it does. And the key to watch is potential dilution in shareholding.

What does it mean for investors?

Buying Archer below $5 could prove an excellent investment. But the share price alone isn't what matters. How well the company executes is.

Archer must complete certification, launch commercial operations, scale its business efficiently, and manage its capital without excessive dilution. If management delivers on those goals, today's stock price could look remarkably cheap in hindsight. If not, a low share price won't provide much protection.

For investors willing to accept uncertainty, Archer offers exposure to one of the most ambitious transportation opportunities of the next decade.

Lawrence Nga has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.