Why Planet Labs Popped Today

By Rich Smith – Mar 25, 2026 at 12:17PM ESTKey PointsSpaceX may file for its IPO this week.NASA just announced a $20 billion plan to build a moon base.Meanwhile on Earth, Planet will open a German factory and double its satellite production.Tic-tac-toe, three in a row -- good news keeps flowing for Planet Labs (PL 8.65%) stock this morning, helping the space stock explode 15% higher through noon ET. Yesterday, as you may have heard, rumors surfaced that SpaceX will file for its IPO this week (or next -- no one's 100% certain). Next came the big "Ignition" announcement from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, with the space agency promising to spend some $20 billion to build an American moon base by 2032. Finally, just this morning, Planet Labs announced it has begun recruiting engineers to staff its new satellite manufacturing facility in Germany -- ramping up its business and taking Planet international. Image source: Getty Images. SpaceX and NASA Starting with the SpaceX news, word has it SpaceX may raise $75 billion in the biggest IPO ever, valuing SpaceX at $1.75 trillion or more. Space investors are seeing dollar signs and (rightly or wrongly) assuming that what's good news for SpaceX will be great news for all SpaceX stocks. Next to a $75 billion IPO, NASA's Ignition plan to put astronauts on the moon "semi-permanently" almost sounds like small potatoes -- but it's NASA's biggest project since the Apollo landings. What does it have to do with Planet, which builds satellites to take pictures of Earth? Not much at this point, but it makes sense that once we have people on the moon, NASA might hire Planet to put a few moon observation satellites up there to keep an eye on them. ExpandNYSE: PLPlanet Labs PBCToday's Change(-8.65%) $-3.06Current Price$32.31Key Data PointsMarket Cap$12BDay's Range$32.12 - $35.6352wk Range$2.79 - $37.05Volume420KAvg Vol13MGross Margin56.00% A German Planet And the German news? Basically, this is a revenue story. Planet says setting up a factory in Berlin will let it double its capacity of Pelican imaging satellites. More satellites means more money for Planet, confirming the company's status as a growth stock. Big things lie ahead for tiny Planet.Read NextMar 20, 2026 •By Joe TenebrusoWhy Planet Labs Stock Popped TodayMar 20, 2026 •By Josh Kohn-LindquistStock Market Today, March 20: Planet Labs Surges After Record Revenue and Upbeat GuidanceMar 19, 2026 •By Motley Fool TranscribingPlanet Labs (PL) Q4 2026 Earnings Call TranscriptMar 16, 2026 •By Keith Noonan4 Best Rocket Stocks to Buy in 2026Mar 4, 2026 •By Lou Whiteman6 Best Defense ETFs to Buy in 2026Mar 2, 2026 •By Rich SmithWhy Planet Labs Stock Popped TodayAbout 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 MentionedPlanet Labs PBCNYSE: PL$32.31(-8.65%)-$3.06*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.