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Satellite stocks rip as war shifts focus to defense spending

Traders seem to be settling on satellite stocks as a smart place to stash cash after the combined US and Israeli attack on Iran ignited a fresh war in the Middle East over the weekend.

Planet Labs, AST SpaceMobile, and Firefly Aerospace are all posting strong gains, as are related space plays like Intuitive Machines and traditional defense contractors like Northrop Grumman, which has a growing space services division.

Scenes of the aftermath of missile and drone strikes underscore the importance of imaging and communications technology offered by the low-Earth orbital satellite services some of these companies offer. Sadly, the scale of the destruction in the region suggests such services will be in heavy demand from governments worldwide for the foreseeable future.

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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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