FCC Approves Starlink Mobile for Global 5G Rollout

SPCX closed at $152.78 on September 18, 2026, down 1.31% from the prior session's close of $154.81.

Executive Summary

SPCX pulled back on September 18, giving back a portion of the prior session's gain after opening at $154.54, pushing as high as $156.60, and fading to a low of $149.93 before closing at $152.78. Volume came in at 105,788,212 shares, well above the average volume to date of 77,257,938, indicating heavier-than-typical participation on the down day.

News flow was mixed and reflected the wide range of views currently attached to the stock. Morgan Stanley reiterated a buy rating with a $300 price target, framing the bull case around AI compute infrastructure demand within SpaceX's addressable market, per a Motley Fool report. A separate Motley Fool piece the same day cited the stock's pullback from its all-time high near $211 and flagged the company's valuation multiples (68x sales, 200x forward earnings) as a reason for caution, while noting a bear-case scenario from other analysts pointing to potential downside tied to AI segment spending and expiring compute deals. Other headlines covered operational updates: Elon Musk's comments on Starlink reliability versus cable, an FCC approval for global Starlink Mobile service, and a NASA selection of SpaceX for the StarBurst gamma-ray mission. None of these items were tied to a specific market-moving catalyst disclosed in the data for this session.

News

1. SpaceX Stock Is Down 33% From Its High. Here's Why Morgan Stanley Thinks There's 106% Upside From Here.

SpaceX stock has declined 36% from its all-time high following its June IPO, but Morgan Stanley reiterated a 'buy' rating with a $300 price target implying over 100% upside. The bullish outlook is primarily driven by AI opportunities, which comprise $26.5 trillion of SpaceX's $28.5 trillion addressable market. Morgan Stanley analysts believe SpaceX can build industry-leading AI compute infrastructure that is cheaper, faster, and more energy efficient than competitors. (The Motley Fool, Sep 18, 3:30 PM ET)

2. Brad Gerstner Says AI Labs Need $180B Revenue Run Rate to Keep Nvidia Trade Alive

Brad Gerstner says AI labs need a $180B revenue run rate by year-end to sustain the AI trade and justify hyperscaler spending. (Benzinga, Sep 18, 2:42 PM ET)

3. SpaceX Stock Is Down 28% From Its All-Time High. Here's What $10,000 Invested Today Could Be Worth by 2031.

SpaceX stock has declined 28% from its all-time high of $211 to around $152 following its June 2026 IPO that valued the company at $1.8 trillion. While Morgan Stanley predicts aggressive growth with a $300 price target that could double a $10,000 investment, the author takes a more cautious stance, predicting a $250 price target by 2031 due to the company's already elevated valuation metrics (68x sales, 200x forward earnings). (The Motley Fool, Sep 18, 2:05 PM ET)

4. Elon Musk Says Starlink Now Beats Cable on Reliability

Elon Musk says Starlink is now often more reliable than cable as SpaceX scales its satellite network and targets mainstream broadband. (Benzinga, Sep 18, 1:29 PM ET)

5. AI Capex Boom Risks 'Massive Capital Destruction' in the US, Warns Veteran Market Strategist: 'You Could Get Some News Item That Suddenly…'

Jefferies’ Chris Wood warns trillion-dollar AI spending could trigger massive capital destruction as hyperscalers turn to debt. (Benzinga, Sep 18, 9:52 AM ET)

6. 2 Game-Changing AI Stocks That Can Plunge 48% and 54%, According to Select Wall Street Analysts

Despite widespread bullish sentiment on AI stocks, select Wall Street analysts have issued bearish outlooks on two major AI players. SpaceX faces a potential 48% downside due to concerns about its AI segment's unsustainable spending, steep losses, and expiring compute deals with major clients. Palantir Technologies could plunge 54% according to one analyst, primarily due to its extremely elevated valuation with a P/S ratio of 72, which historically hasn't been sustainable for innovative companies. (The Motley Fool, Sep 18, 7:06 AM ET)

7. SpaceX Wins FCC Nod for Global Starlink Mobile Services as It Targets 5G Connectivity From Space

FCC approves SpaceX’s global telecom authority, supporting Starlink Mobile’s expansion toward direct-to-phone 5G and broader connectivity. (Benzinga, Sep 18, 6:27 AM ET)

8. NASA Picks SpaceX to Hunt Cosmic Explosions With StarBurst — Here’s What Scientists Are Looking For

NASA selected SpaceX to launch StarBurst, helping detect gamma-ray bursts from neutron-star mergers and advance multimessenger astronomy. (Benzinga, Sep 18, 5:28 AM ET)

Price Action

Metric	Value
Open	$154.54
High	$156.60
Low	$149.93
Close	$152.78
Change vs prior close	-1.31% ($154.81 → $152.78)
Volume	105,788,212
Intraday range	$149.93 – $156.60 (6.67 pts)
Close vs IPO offer price ($135.00)	+13.17%

SPCX opened at $154.54, roughly in line with the prior close, then pushed to an intraday high of $156.60 in the early session before sellers took control. The stock gave back the gain and more, trading down to $149.93 before recovering some ground into the close at $152.78. The session's volume of 105,788,212 shares was well above the average volume to date of 77,257,938, and also above the prior session's 84,031,436 shares, indicating the pullback came with elevated participation rather than a quiet drift lower. Against the IPO offer price of $135.00, SPCX remains up 13.17%; against the June 12 IPO-day close of $160.95, it remains down roughly 5%.

A high-volume reversal from the day's high back below the prior close is the one-line story of the session.

Technicals

SPCX has traded for roughly three months since its June 12, 2026 IPO. At this stage, longer-lookback tools like the 200-day moving average and a fully seasoned 14-day RSI carry limited statistical weight — there isn't yet enough price history for them to reflect a mature trend. SMA-200 is not yet available in the data. The reads below lean on price structure, candle shape, volume, and the shorter moving averages that do have enough bars behind them (SMA-5 through SMA-50).

Trend

Since the IPO close of $160.95, SPCX ran to a closing high of $201.80 on June 16, then declined through July into an early-August closing low of $108.27 on August 5. From that low, the stock has recovered steadily through August and into September, closing at $154.81 on September 17 before today's pullback to $152.78. The short-term moving averages remain stacked in a constructive order for the recovery: SMA-5 ($150.02) and EMA-5 ($151.24) sit above SMA-10 ($149.85), which sits above SMA-20 ($145.34), which sits above SMA-50 ($134.63). Today's close at $152.78 remains above all of these levels, meaning the pullback has not yet broken the shorter-term uptrend structure.

Candle read

Today's candle is bearish: the open ($154.54) closed lower at $152.78, producing a body of -1.76 within a total range of 6.67 points. The lower wick (2.85) is longer than the upper wick (2.06), showing that sellers pushed price down to $149.93 intraday but buyers stepped back in before the close. The close-location value of 0.43 puts the final print just below the midpoint of the day's range — a partial recovery off the lows rather than a close at the day's worst level, but still a net give-back from the open.

Support levels

• $149.93 — today's intraday low, the level buyers defended into the close
• $150.02 / $149.85 — SMA-5 / SMA-10, a short-term moving-average cluster just below the close
• $145.34 — SMA-20
• $134.63 — SMA-50, the widest near-term moving-average support on record

Resistance levels

• $154.81 — prior session's close, now overhead after today's pullback
• $156.60 — today's intraday high
• $160.95 — the June 12 IPO-day close

Momentum interpretation

RSI-14 stands at 57.96, in neutral territory — neither overbought nor oversold — though this reading should be treated as an early-stage signal given SPCX's short trading history.

Bull scenario: a reclaim of today's high near $156.60 and a push back toward the prior close's $154.81 zone would suggest the pullback was a one-day pause within the broader August–September recovery, keeping the SMA-5/SMA-10/SMA-20/SMA-50 stack intact.

Bear scenario: a close below the $149.93 intraday low and the SMA-5/SMA-10 cluster (~$150) would open the door toward the SMA-20 at $145.34, and a break of that would put the SMA-50 at $134.63 in play.

Neutral scenario: continued consolidation between roughly $150 and $156.60 — inside today's range — without a decisive break of either boundary, consistent with the choppy price action seen since the IPO.

Trading Takeaway

SPCX pulled back from a new post-recovery attempt at $156.60 on above-average volume, closing 1.31% lower at $152.78 but still holding above its short-term moving averages (SMA-5, SMA-10, SMA-20, SMA-50). The long lower wick shows buyers were active on the dip to $149.93, keeping the multi-week recovery structure technically intact for now. The next session's key levels to watch: support at $149.93 and the ~$150 SMA-5/SMA-10 cluster on the downside, resistance at $154.81 (prior close) and $156.60 (today's high) on the upside.

Sources

1. SpaceX Stock Is Down 33% From Its High. Here's Why Morgan Stanley Thinks There's 106% Upside From Here. — The Motley Fool
2. Brad Gerstner Says AI Labs Need $180B Revenue Run Rate to Keep Nvidia Trade Alive — Benzinga
3. SpaceX Stock Is Down 28% From Its All-Time High. Here's What $10,000 Invested Today Could Be Worth by 2031. — The Motley Fool
4. Elon Musk Says Starlink Now Beats Cable on Reliability — Benzinga
5. AI Capex Boom Risks 'Massive Capital Destruction' in the US, Warns Veteran Market Strategist — Benzinga
6. 2 Game-Changing AI Stocks That Can Plunge 48% and 54%, According to Select Wall Street Analysts — The Motley Fool
7. SpaceX Wins FCC Nod for Global Starlink Mobile Services as It Targets 5G Connectivity From Space — Benzinga
8. NASA Picks SpaceX to Hunt Cosmic Explosions With StarBurst — Here's What Scientists Are Looking For — Benzinga
9. Alpaca Markets (SIP) — market data

Disclaimer

This report is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. It is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. Market data and technical levels are based on available data as of the report date and may be incomplete or delayed. Verify all figures independently before making any financial decision.