Firefly Aerospace Inc. (NASDAQ:FLY) shares declined in early-morning trading on Friday, as investors digested reports of potential merger discussions between Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and SpaceX.The stock’s decline comes amid broader market speculation following reports that Elon Musk‘s SpaceX is exploring merger possibilities with Tesla. According to a Benzinga report published Wednesday, a cryptic post from Musk in November has resurfaced, where he stated, “My companies are, surprisingly in some ways, tren ...

Industry Overview - Space stocks have experienced significant gains at the start of 2026, with several companies posting double-digit increases year-to-date, driven by support from the Trump administration, technical achievements, and a potential SpaceX IPO [1] AST SpaceMobile – ASTS - AST SpaceMobile shares have consolidated near all-time highs of $91–$100 after a 260% rally in 2025, gaining 28% year-to-date, although some analysts have issued a bearish outlook due to extreme valuation multiples [2] Rocket Lab – RKLB - Rocket Lab has shown strong bullish momentum, with a 65% surge in late 2025, reaching around $85 in early January 2026, and gaining over 20% in 2026, approaching a price target of $90 set by Needham [3][4] Starfighters Space – FJET - Starfighters Space shares have increased by 20% in 2026, driven by successful supersonic flight tests and support from a space superiority executive order from President Trump [5] Virgin Galactic – SPCE - Virgin Galactic has had a slow start in 2026, with shares down about 1% year-to-date, as investors await the company's ability to meet its 2026 target for scaled commercial service amid cautious ratings from analysts [6] Firefly Aerospace – FLY - Firefly Aerospace shares are up 34% in 2026, despite trading below the $45 debut price, as investors look forward to the Blue Ghost Mission 2 lunar landing and the development of the medium-lift Eclipse rocket [7] Intuitive Machines – LUNR - Intuitive Machines shares have risen 17% year-to-date, trading above $19, fueled by speculation around a $4.6 billion NASA lunar terrain vehicle contract, although facing short-term volatility due to a recent downgrade [9][10] Planet Labs – PL - Planet Labs shares have gained 27% in 2026, partly due to a multi-year satellite services agreement with Sweden for satellite and data solutions [11]