How to buy SpaceX stock if you are a retail investor
Learn how you can buy SpaceX shares, now that it has gone public, which brokers offer access and more information you should know
The arrival of SpaceX to Wall Street has become one of the most anticipated financial events in recent years. Elon Musk's company, known for its reusable rockets and the Starlink satellite internet network, opened a rare opportunity for small investors: to participate in its initial public offering (IPO) through popular brokerage platforms.
If you have heard about SpaceX shares, but do not have experience investing, here we explain in a simple way how the process works, what platforms participate and what is the difference between buying during the IPO or waiting for the shares to be listed on the stock exchange.
What is the SpaceX IPO?
An initial public offering, known as an IPO, is when a company sells shares to the public for the first time and begins trading on the stock market.
In most IPOs, large institutional investors typically have priority access to the shares. Retail investors usually have to wait for the company to start trading before they can buy.
However, SpaceX announced that a portion of the available shares will be allocated to individual investors, allowing them to access the offer from the beginning and at the same price as other larger participants.
The company began trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol SPCX with a valuation of approximately $1.8 billion, with a price of $135 per share.
How to buy SpaceX shares?
To participate in the wave of buying SpaceX shares, you need to have an investment account with a licensed brokerage platform. According to the information published by the company, some of the participating platforms are:
You must first open or have an active account on one of the brokerage platforms mentioned. After a series of verifications of each company, finally, you will be able to deposit money and send the request indicating how many shares you want to buy.
In some cases, brokerage firms may require certain eligibility requirements, so it is worth reviewing the specific conditions of each platform.
What does share allocation mean?
One of the points that most confuse new investors is that requesting shares does not guarantee receiving them. When an IPO generates a lot of hype, as is the case with SpaceX, demand can far exceed the number of shares available to the public.
“If you order 100 shares, you might get 100. Chances are you'll only get a fraction of the shares you ordered,” Jay Ritter, professor and director of The IPO Initiative at the University of Florida, told CBS News.
This is known as allocation. In other words, the broker distributes the available shares among the investors who submitted applications. For that reason, you may receive fewer titles than you initially requested.
Difference between buying at the IPO and buying when it is already listed
The main advantage of participating in the IPO is that you can access the shares at the offer price set before public trading begins.
Once the stock hits the market, the price constantly changes based on supply and demand. If there is a lot of enthusiasm among investors, the value can increase rapidly during the first hours or days of trading.
Imagine that a stock comes to market with a certain price during the IPO; If thousands of people try to buy it at the same time when trading begins, the price could rise considerably.
On the other hand, waiting also has advantages. Some investors prefer to see how the market reacts during the first few weeks before investing. This allows them to better evaluate the behavior of the action and avoid impulsive movements caused by the initial emotion.
Is it worth investing in SpaceX?
SpaceX is considered one of the most important companies in the aerospace sector and has several ambitious plans planned for which Elon Musk chose to put it on the stock market. Its growth in areas such as space launches, government contracts and satellite internet service has sparked great interest among investors.
However, like any stock, its price can go up or down. Experts remind that a popular company does not guarantee positive returns and that IPOs usually register volatility during their first days of trading.
Before investing, it is advisable to analyze your financial situation, define how much risk you are willing to assume and avoid allocating money that you may need in the short term. It is important to note that this article was for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice or an investment recommendation.