SpaceX shares jump on Nasdaq debut as retail investors crowd Times Square

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SpaceX Nasdaq debut

Highlights

SpaceX debuts on Nasdaq under ticker SPCX at $135 per share, opens at $150, surges to $160.95, up 19% from offer price.
Significant retail and employee interest marks IPO as a major liquidity event, with crowds gathering outside Nasdaq despite no official programming.
The successful listing demonstrates strong investor demand and public attention for SpaceX amid heightened scrutiny of high-profile U.S. IPOs.

Nasdaq debut draws crowds and early gains

As first reported by Business Insider, the scene outside Nasdaq's headquarters on Friday morning is marked by a mix of Musk supporters, market spectators and passersby as SpaceX starts trading under the ticker SPCX.

The company prices the IPO on Thursday night at $135 per share, in line with expectations. Shares open at $150 and climb as much as 30% in early trading before ending the session at $160.95, up 19% from the offer price.

SpaceX does not stage official programming outside the building, but the Nasdaq tower and nearby screens loop company-themed content as the crowd gathers in humid conditions before the opening bell. Some attendees wait in hopes of seeing Musk, while others discuss buying shares as soon as trading begins.

Several people in the crowd describe the listing as a historic market event. Others are more cautious, with some visitors saying they stop only out of curiosity and a few traders avoiding the stock because of expected volatility.

Liquidity event highlights retail and employee interest

The gathering includes apparent current and former employees, some wearing Starlink or "Occupy Mars" shirts, adding to signs that the IPO is also a significant liquidity event for people with equity in the company. One former employee says he plans to hold most of his shares because he still believes in SpaceX's mission.

Retail interest is also evident, with some attendees saying they plan to buy immediately and others waiting to see whether the price pulls back in the coming days. The mood remains broadly bullish, though at least some onlookers characterize the enthusiasm as speculative and bubble-like.

Musk is not at the Nasdaq event and is instead in Texas, disappointing some people who stay near the entrance expecting an appearance. Even so, the listing reinforces SpaceX's ability to attract both investor demand and public attention at a time when marquee U.S. IPOs remain under close market scrutiny.

In our earlier coverage of UK retail demand for SpaceX’s IPO, we reported that applications surged far beyond the shares available, leading to scaled-back allocations for many individual investors despite some receiving full fills on smaller orders. We also noted that new UK FCA offer rules helped broaden participation via major investing platforms, while global demand for the offering was described as multiple times oversubscribed with a sizable portion reserved for retail buyers.

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