Space stocks are having a moment, and Intuitive Machines (LUNR) is right in the middle of it. Shares of the lunar exploration company jumped 9.57% in Tuesday premarket trading to $41.92, hitting a fresh 52-week high. The catalyst? A mix of renewed excitement around the space sector and growing chatter about a potential SpaceX IPO that's lifting all boats.
But this isn't just speculative froth. Intuitive Machines has been stacking up real wins. In recent months, the company landed a $180.4 million NASA contract for the IM-5 lunar mission and a deal to operate the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC). Those are the kind of concrete business developments that give investors something to hold onto.
Earnings Snapshot
The company's latest earnings report was a bit of a mixed bag. Intuitive Machines posted a first-quarter loss of $0.25 per share, wider than the $0.06 loss analysts were expecting and deeper than the $0.11 loss from a year ago. Revenue came in at $186.73 million, missing the $202.68 million consensus estimate. But here's the thing: revenue still more than tripled from $62.52 million in the same quarter last year. And the company reaffirmed its fiscal 2026 revenue outlook of $900 million to $1 billion, which is pretty much in line with what analysts were looking for ($922.88 million).
Wall Street seems willing to look past the earnings miss. The stock carries a Buy rating with an average price target of $34.38, but several analysts have recently raised their forecasts well above that. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted its target to $43 on May 19, while Canaccord Genuity and B. Riley Securities both raised theirs to $41 and $45, respectively, on May 15. All three firms rate the stock a Buy or Overweight.
LUNR Technical Analysis: Bullish Trend And Key Indicators
The technical picture is about as bullish as it gets. Intuitive Machines is trading 39.7% above its 20-day simple moving average (SMA), 65.7% above its 50-day SMA, and a whopping 158.2% above its 200-day SMA. That's not just a bounce — that's a rocket ship.
The bullish case gets even stronger when you look at the MACD, which is currently above its signal line, suggesting that momentum is still building. And let's not forget the golden cross that occurred back in November 2025, when the 50-day SMA crossed above the 200-day SMA. That's a classic long-term bullish signal, and it's still very much in play.
How Intuitive Machines (LUNR) Ranks On Momentum
According to market data, Intuitive Machines scores a 98.75 on momentum — that's about as bullish as it gets. The stock is outperforming the broader market by a wide margin, and the momentum signal is clear: this is a momentum-driven story. Investors should keep an eye on upcoming earnings and any new developments that could either fuel the fire or cool things down.
Top ETFs Holding Intuitive Machines (LUNR)
If you're looking for exposure to LUNR through ETFs, here are the top funds that hold the stock:
Because LUNR carries significant weight in these funds, any big inflows or outflows for these ETFs will likely force automatic buying or selling of the stock. So keep an eye on those flows if you're trading the name.
LUNR Price Action: Intuitive Machines shares were up 9.57% at $41.92 during premarket trading on Tuesday. The stock is trading at a new 52-week high, according to market data.