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Archer Aviation posts Q2 loss, but builds up its cash pile

Air taxi and military aircraft builder Archer Aviation reported a worse-than-expected loss in the second quarter, though its cash pile climbed.

Archer posted a loss of $0.36 per share, worse than the $0.25 loss expected by analysts polled by FactSet. The company reported adjusted operating expenses totaling $123.5 million versus estimates of $113.8 million.

The stock was down 1.4% after-hours.

For the third quarter, Archer said it expects adjusted earnings before interest and taxes to be a loss in the range of $110 million to $130 million, compared with analysts’ forecast for a loss of $110 million.

Archer, which is the official air taxi partner of the 2028 LA Olympics, has been heavily focused on the defense sector as of late, with CEO Adam Goldstein telling Sherwood News last month that he expects its military aircraft business to be larger than commercial air taxi operations for at least the next 10 years. The company signed an AI deal with Palantir in March.

Cash is vital for Archer, which is still largely without revenue as it seeks FAA certification. The company ended its second quarter with $1.72 billion in cash (and equivalents), nearly 5x its total from the same period last year ($360.4 million) and up 67% from its first-quarter figure. Its air-taxi-meets-defense-contractor rival Joby Aviation ended the quarter with a cash pile of $991 million.

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SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

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Nike sinks to lowest level since 2014 after warning of “challenged” sales environment in Q4 report

Did Nike do it?

Investors had a mixed reaction after the global sports apparel company reported its fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday after the bell. Shares initially rose 5% as Nike beat out Wall Street expectations amid a hefty tariff refund bonus. However, the stock then sank to its lowest level since August 2014 in postmarket trading.

Here are the Q4 numbers:

  • Revenue of $11.0 billion (estimate: $10.8 billion).

  • Adjusted earnings per share of $0.20 (estimate: $0.12).

Ahead of this report, Nike warned that results would be flattered by a one-time tariff refund (now estimated at roughly $0.52 per share for the bottom line). That gave the company an extra cushion in snapping its streak of seven quarters of year-over-year profit declines.

Over the past year, the company had been punished by tariffs on imported goods, stagnant consumer spending, and increasing competition from other footwear brands like New Balance, Adidas, and Hoka.

Outgoing CFO Matthew Friend deemed it an “increasingly challenging operating environment, where sell-through remains challenged.”

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