Just over 24 hours since billionaire Richard Branson made history and took off into space and Virgin Galactic stock has plummeted from the sky
Shares in Virgin Galactic rose over 200 per cent in the two months ahead of Sunday’s world first flight.
The luck for the space tourism company continued with a stock climb of about 9 per cent in Monday’s pre-market trading.
However, shares took a steep fall around 17 per cent during the regular session on Monday.
The stock’s move feels odd given the success the company had on Sunday.
The landmark flight to the edge of space opened up a new frontier for commercial space travel in a race between billionaires that has investors eye’s peeled.
Part of the reason for the fall may have to do with Virgin Galactic’s plans to sell more stock.
Market Expert Christopher Uhl joined ticker news and says there are simply no more buyers willing to pay higher prices for Virgin Galactic stock, now that the huge event of heading to the skies has passed.
Market Expert Christopher Uhl
“I was once a kid with a dream”: Richard Branson blasts into space
Well he finally did it. 17 years after Richard Branson first launched Virgin Galactic, the thrill-seeking billionaire has taken to the skies and reached space.
In his boldest adventure yet, the 70 year old Richard Branson took off for the first stage of the flight.
On the ground, about 500 people watched on, including Richard Branson’s wife, children and grandchildren.
On board were his five crewmates from his Virgin Galactic space tourism company.
The space plane detached from the mother ship at an altitude of about 13km and fired its engine, reaching the edge of space about 88km up.
After a few minutes of weightlessness for the crew, the space plane is began its decent, set to end with a glide to a runway landing.
Richard Branson couldn’t contain his excitement, as he spoke on the journey back to earth.
He thanked his crew and remembered all those who had worked on the mammoth project.
After a decade of promises, the moment finally came for Richard Branson to unveil his spaceship for the people.
He said on board:: “To all you kids down there, I was once a kid with a dream. Now I’m up here, in a space ship!”
Customer spaceflight experience
As Branson took to space onboard Virgin Galactic, his official role for the journey will be “evaluating customer spaceflight experience”.
And that’s an important role – after all anyone who wants to rise Virgin Galactic will need to part with a quarter of a million dollars first, and that price is expected to rise.
Along with the two pilots, there is room for six passengers with a flight time of about an hour and a half.
The Virgin Galactic rocket ship detached from the mothership.
The spaceship will just go over the 82 kilometres, which is where the US recognises someone as having been into space.
Then, passengers will get to experience about six minutes of weightlessness and seeing the curvature of the Earth and the darkness of space.
They will then descend, landing on a runway much like the old space shuttle or a normal passenger plane.
Jeff and Blue Origin are promising a completely different experience for their customers.
Blue Origin’s New Shepard, which has no pilots and room for six passengers, reaches more than 100 kilometres high, which is the internationally recognised boundary of space
Passengers on Blue Origin will get about three minutes to float around and feel like they are in space.
Might be half the time, but the price is 50,000 dollars cheaper than flying on Virgin Galactic.
But either way, the expensive thrill ride marks the beginning of earth’s commercial passenger trips into space.
Virgin Galactic doesn’t expect to start flying customers before next year.
Navigating global uncertainty as the Middle East crisis reshapes markets, technology, and supply chains
The ongoing Middle East crisis is sending shockwaves through global markets, driving energy prices higher and intensifying volatility. Investors are facing growing uncertainty as inflationary pressures mount and risk sentiment shifts. Supply chains are under stress, with key trade routes disrupted, forcing businesses worldwide to rethink logistics, procurement, and operational strategies.
The technology sector is feeling the ripple effects as semiconductors, critical components, and AI infrastructure come under pressure. Volatility in tech stocks is rising, while defence and cybersecurity firms are navigating both new risks and opportunities. At the same time, investment in renewable energy and energy tech could accelerate as companies adapt to energy price surges and seek more resilient solutions.
Brad Gastwirth from Circular Technologies joins us to break down what these developments mean for global markets and long-term strategic planning.
Australia’s inflation report sparks market shifts, influencing interest rates, the Aussie dollar, and investor sentiment amid Nvidia’s earnings.
Australia’s latest inflation report is creating waves across the market, with questions about interest rates, the strong performance of the Aussie dollar, and the uneven nature of the stock market rally. Investors are watching closely as changes in carry trade risks this month add another layer of complexity.
David Scutt from StoneX discusses what these shifts mean for trading strategies and the broader economic outlook. He provides insight into how underlying factors are shaping investor confidence and market dynamics.
On the tech side, Nvidia’s upcoming earnings are expected to influence AI development and the broader tech sector. Coupled with trends in SaaS and bitcoin price action, these movements are signalling how investor sentiment is evolving in a fast-changing landscape.
Subscribe to never miss an episode of Ticker – https://www.youtube.com/@weareticker
U.S. equities rose as AI disruption fears eased, with Home Depot, AMD, and DocuSign driving tech stock gains.
U.S. tech stocks surged as investors’ fears over AI disruption eased. Advanced Micro Devices jumped 9% after Meta announced a multiyear deal to deploy AMD’s graphics processing units for AI data centres. The move highlights growing corporate confidence in AI infrastructure investments.
DocuSign also rose 3% following Anthropic’s confirmation that Claude Cowork can integrate with DocuSign, Google Drive, and Gmail, signalling stronger adoption of AI tools across industries.
The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF climbed 2% despite remaining over 30% below its 52-week high, showing tech stocks are recovering but still have room to run.