Why Shares of Archer Aviation Took Flight This Week

Since last Friday, shares of the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft company Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) traded about 15% higher, as of the close of trading on Thursday. The company conducted more successful testing, received positive sentiment from Wall Street, and President Donald Trump's administration issued executive orders that could benefit Archer.

More progress on testing

Cantor Fitzgerald issued a research note earlier this week, maintaining its overweight rating on the stock and issuing a $13 price target. Analyst Andres Sheppard said the company recently conducted a successful piloted test of its Midnight aircraft. The Midnight reached a cruising speed of 125 miles per hour and an altitude of over 1,500 feet.

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 »

Image source: Getty Images.

Archer also announced Thursday that it recently completed a piloted transition flight. The company describes this flight as one that "occurs when the aircraft takes off vertically like a helicopter, accelerates forward, transitions from thrust-borne to wing-borne flight like an airplane with tilt propellers forward, before decelerating and landing vertically."

On Wednesday, the Trump administration also issued several executive orders on drones, flying cars, and supersonics. Specifically, one order creates a pilot program to test eVTOLs for air taxis, cargo, and defense logistics. For Archer to eventually set up air taxis for commercial use, it will need regulators to sign off, so the Trump administration's support is a good sign.

Compelling and expensive

Archer has shown tremendous promise. Not only has its Midnight aircraft achieved many regulatory and operational milestones, but the company has also secured contracts with the Department of Defense through its partnership with Anduril.

If commercial air taxis becomes a massive new sector, Archer will likely be one of the few companies that can quickly gobble up market share. However, the company is not yet profitable and already trades at a $6.4 billion market cap, making it tough to go all in just yet. I would start with a smaller, speculative position and build it as Archer achieves regulatory milestones and other big accomplishments.

Should you invest $1,000 in Archer Aviation right now?

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 Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $657,871!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $875,479!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 998% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 174% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025

Bram Berkowitz 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.