SpaceX IPO 2026: Stock Jumps 19% on Nasdaq to $160.95

A blockbuster IPO puts SpaceX on public markets

SpaceX entered the public stock market in a closely watched Nasdaq debut that quickly turned into one of Wall Street’s biggest events. The company, formally Space Exploration Technologies Corp., listed under the ticker symbol SPCX. Reports described the IPO as the largest in history, with $15 billion raised. SpaceX priced the offering at $135 per share for 555.6 million shares, according to filings and coverage cited in the market updates. That pricing implied an IPO valuation of about $1.77 trillion.

Trading interest was unusually intense from the start. Several reports noted that the first trade came only after a lengthy opening process. One update said the opening followed an auction that extended beyond two hours, highlighting how order imbalances can delay the first print on major listings. With a starting valuation already in the trillions, even modest moves in the first session had an outsized impact on market cap and the wealth tied to founder holdings.

How the first trade was set

SpaceX began trading around noon in New York, rather than right at the 9:30 a.m. market open. Coverage described the first trade printing around $150 per share, above the IPO price of $135. Reuters-referenced indications ahead of the debut included a preliminary opening price of $151 at one stage. Other live-update notes showed how expectations moved during the morning, with indicated opens cited at $155, $162, and even around $175 per share at different points.

Those shifting indications mattered for two reasons. First, they showed the scale of demand and the uncertainty in matching it with supply at the open. Second, they set the tone for how investors framed the day: not just whether SpaceX would trade above issue price, but how far above it would open and whether those levels could hold once continuous trading began.

Intraday surge: from $150 to a peak near $176

Once the stock began changing hands, SpaceX moved quickly. Multiple updates put the opening near $150, followed by a rapid jump. Within roughly two hours of trading, the stock reached an intraday high around $176. Another report described a session high near $172, reflecting slight differences across feeds, time stamps, or summaries.

After the early spike, pricing moved into a lower band. One account said that by around noon Friday the stock was hovering between $162 and $165. Another said it climbed to approximately $168 during the session before fading. The pattern was consistent across reports: strong first-hour demand, a peak well above the issue price, then price discovery that pulled the stock off the highs.

The close: $160.95 and a first-day gain near 19%

By late afternoon, SpaceX shares ended the session at $160.95. From the $135 IPO price, that close implied a gain of roughly 19%, as several updates noted. The market-data summary also framed the day as opening at $150 and finishing at $160.95.

Not every data snapshot matched the close. One market-data line reported SpaceX “surged 26.51%, rising $15.79 to $170.79,” which conflicts with the $160.95 closing print described elsewhere. Given the mix of sources in circulation, investors typically treat the official exchange close as the reference point and use other quotes as intraday or feed-specific snapshots.

Valuation crosses $1 trillion and reshapes wealth rankings

At the close near $161, SpaceX was described as carrying a market value of roughly $1.1 trillion, placing it among the six largest publicly traded companies in the United States. Other coverage used slightly different language, saying the debut pushed valuation to more than $1 trillion or nearly $1 trillion depending on the moment and price.

The valuation jump had immediate implications for Elon Musk’s net worth. Several reports said the listing cemented Musk as the world’s first trillionaire, at least “on paper.” Bloomberg calculations cited in the updates tied that status to his holdings in SpaceX, while another estimate put Musk’s net worth at about $1.1 trillion according to Forbes. One report said Musk owns 38% of SpaceX and that stake was estimated at roughly $100 billion after early trading gains. Other updates put the value of his SpaceX stake around $166 billion or noted it was nearly $170 billion at the IPO price.

Live pricing after the first print stayed volatile

Post-open quotes varied through the day. One update said the stock was valued at slightly above $168 after having reached $176 earlier. Another cited a “current price” of $162.58, describing that level as about a 20% increase from the IPO price. These differences reflect the timing of the updates, not a single final quote.

What remained clear was the sequence: $135 IPO pricing, a $150 first trade, a spike toward the mid-$170s, and a close just under $161. That arc is typical of high-demand listings where opening imbalances and momentum buyers can lift prices early, before the market settles into a more stable trading range.

Politics enters the conversation after the trillionaire milestone

The debut also triggered a broader debate about wealth concentration. Updates said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined public discussion on wealth inequality following the IPO and Musk’s move into trillionaire territory. While the details of his remarks were not provided in the updates, the fact that a major political figure weighed in underscored how the listing quickly moved beyond finance circles.

For investors, the political backdrop matters mainly as context. The immediate tradable drivers remain the stock’s liquidity, institutional positioning after the IPO, and the market’s reassessment of valuation once the initial surge fades and more holders are able to transact.

Key numbers from SpaceX’s debut session

Conclusion

SpaceX’s Nasdaq debut delivered an immediate pop over its $135 IPO price, opening at $150, touching the mid-$170s, and closing at $160.95. The first session also pushed SpaceX’s valuation into the $1 trillion range in several reports and moved Elon Musk above the $1 trillion threshold by multiple third-party estimates. Near-term attention is likely to stay on how the stock trades after the initial opening dynamics, especially as indicated prices and intraday quotes continue to shift around key levels set on day one.