Why Intuitive Machines Stock Crashed Today

By Rich Smith – Feb 25, 2026 at 10:16AM ESTKey PointsIntuitive Machines closed its purchase of Lanteris last month, using up most of its cash to do it.To replenish its funds, Intuitive will sell $175 million worth of new stock -- about 11.6 million shares.NASDAQ: LUNRIntuitive MachinesMarket Cap$2.3BToday's Changeangle-down(-15.93%) $3.01Current Price$15.89Price as of February 25, 2026 at 4:00 PM ETIntuitive Machines has found a dilution solution to its cash woes.Moon explorer Intuitive Machines (LUNR 15.93%) stock tumbled 16% through 9:45 a.m. ET Wednesday after revealing how it plans to develop its business after paying $800 million to buy Advent's Lanteris satellite-building business. Intuitive will sell $175 million in stock and use the proceeds to bolster its bank account. Image source: Getty Images. Intuitive Machines buys Lanteris You remember this deal. Intuitive Machines has a $4.8 billion contract to build a satellite communications network between the Earth and moon for NASA. To help build the satellites it needs to run the network, and earn all the money it's been promised, Intuitive bought Lanteris, which specializes in building satellites. This acquisition closed in January. Intuitive paid $450 million in cash and $350 million in stock for Lanteris. The cash payment, however, took a bite out of Intuitive's $622 million bank account. (We'll find out exactly how much when Intuitive reports earnings March 19.) To ensure it has all the money it needs to continue building out its "Near Space Network," Intuitive will raise a bit more cash through a stock sale. ExpandNASDAQ: LUNRIntuitive MachinesToday's Change(-15.93%) $-3.01Current Price$15.89Key Data PointsMarket Cap$2.3BDay's Range$15.43 - $16.8952wk Range$6.13 - $23.32Volume26MAvg Vol10MGross Margin-70.43% What this means for Intuitive Machines shareholders In sec filings, Intuitive clarifies it will sell $175 million in stock to certain unidentified "global institutional investors." The shares are priced at $15.12. Closing is Friday, Feb. 27, instantly adding 11.6 million shares to Intuitive's shares outstanding. Combined with the shares issued to Advent as compensation for Lanteris (assuming they were valued at Intuitive's Jan. 13 price of $17.57, this would be 19.9 million shares), we're looking at a total of about 31.5 million shares added to Intuitive's total share count. That's roughly 26.5% share dilution by my count. If all Intuitive stock goes down today is 16%, shareholders will be getting off easy.Read NextFeb 18, 2026 •By Scott LevineWhy Intuitive Machines Stock Is Soaring TodayJan 24, 2026 •By James HiresThis Speculative Industrial Stock Could Be Worth $4 Billion by Mid-2026Dec 23, 2025 •By Eric VolkmanWhy Intuitive Machines Stock Slipped on TuesdayNov 15, 2025 •By Rich SmithIntuitive Machines Is (Almost) a Billion-Dollar Space BusinessNov 15, 2025 •By Leo SunCould Buying Intuitive Machines Stock Today Set You Up for Life?Oct 8, 2025 •By Rich SmithWhy Intuitive Machines Stock Just PoppedAbout the AuthorRich Smith is a contributing Motley Fool defense and stock market analyst covering publicly traded and emerging companies in defense, space, aerospace, and other sectors. Prior to The Motley Fool, Rich practiced international corporate law for Clifford Chance in Russia, and for the Russian-Ukrainian Legal Group in Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington, D.C. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the College of William & Mary, a law degree from the University of Baltimore, and a language certification from the International Institute of Russian Language & Culture in Tver, Russian Federation. The Globe and Mail once featured him as “one of the best stock pickers since 2009.”TMFDittyX@RichSmithFoolStocks MentionedIntuitive MachinesNASDAQ: LUNR$15.89 (15.93%) $3.01*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.