Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) stock is seeing big sell-offs in Tuesday's trading. The electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft specialist's share price declined 9% in a session that saw the S&P 500 index's level wind up flat and the Nasdaq Composite index fall 0.4%.
Archer Aviation is seeing sell-offs today in conjunction with the company's announcement that it had raised $301.75 million in funding through the sale of new stock. Per Archer's announcement, shares were sold to institutional investors, including funds and accounts managed by BlackRock. The new stock sale brought eVTOL pioneer's total cash-and-equivalents position to roughly $1 billion, and the company says that the new funds will be used to fund its development of hybrid-power aircraft for the defense industry.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More »
While having access to additional funds to develop new technologies will be beneficial to the company, investors responded negatively to the stock dilution. By creating and selling new shares, Archer effectively reduced the ownership stake of existing shareholders.
As a company that's still not producing any revenue through its core business, it's not surprising that Archer Aviation has moved to raise funding by selling new stock. It's not the first time the company has sold stock to raise capital, and it almost certainly won't be the last.
Despite the big sell-off today, the new share offering doesn't signal any material negative shift in the company's long-term outlook. In fact, new funding and investment from large institutional investors are probably positives for the stock.
As a company that's still in a pre-revenue state, Archer Aviation frequently sees big valuation swings on relatively minor news. I actually think that the recent stock sale is a buy signal and that the company is a smart portfolio addition for risk-tolerant investors at current prices.
With Archer gearing up to launch commercial flights for its Midnight eVTOL craft this year and developing hybrid-power crafts for the defense industry, the company has potentially massive growth drivers on the horizon. If you're willing to stomach the volatility that comes with investing in a pre-revenue business operating in a still nascent industry, Archer Aviation is a stock that could deliver huge long-term returns.
Before you buy stock in Archer Aviation, 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 Archer Aviation wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $818,587!*
Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*.
Learn more »
*Stock Advisor returns as of February 7, 2025
Keith Noonan 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.