Cantor Fitzgerald named stocks with up to 60% upside potential. What attracted them to the space?

Aerospace companies Intuitive Machines and Rocket Lab are able to grow significantly next year, according to Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Andres Sheppard, writes MarketWatch. The target prices set by the expert assume for their shares about 60% growth from current levels.

- Intuitive Machines

Intuitive Machines is a Houston-based American aerospace company that develops and launches lunar missions for NASA and commercial clients. It has lost almost 50% of its value this year. This was mostly due to the events of March 2025, when the company conducted its second lunar mission IM-2 as part of NASA's CLPS program. The landing module successfully reached the moon, but tipped over on its side during landing. As a result, the solar panels were not oriented correctly and the vehicle was unable to receive enough power to recharge. This failure increased investors' concerns about the technical readiness of Intuitive Machines to fulfill future NASA contracts and put pressure on quotations.

However, analyst Cantor Fitzgerald is optimistic about the company's future. In his opinion, securities of Intuitive Machines have a chance for noticeable recovery. The target price set by him at $16 assumes growth by about 60% from the current level.

Among the drivers of growth, according to Sheppard: the planned completion of the deal to buy Intuitive Machines satellite manufacturer Lanteris Space Systems for $800 million in early 2026. After the merger, the companies' combined order book should reach $920 million, with Lanteris providing almost three-quarters of that amount, MarketWatch writes. The analyst notes that after the deal Intuitive Machines will actually become a "full cycle" company: it will be able not only to develop and produce space equipment, but also independently provide its launch and mission management.

The company is also counting on large government orders. Intuitive Machines is among three bidders for NASA's contract to build a lunar transportation vehicle. The potential cost of the entire program is estimated at $4.6 billion, although the start-up phase is $600-800 million. In addition, Intuitive Machines has applied for participation in another NASA program - to deliver payloads to the orbit and surface of the Moon. Within the framework of this initiative, the IM-3 mission with the participation of Intuitive Machines is to be launched in the second half of 2026. It will deliver four scientific and technical payloads for NASA.

- Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab, a private space company headquartered in Long Beach, California, is known for the lightweight Electron rocket and the Neutron mid-range reusable rocket under development.

Analyst Cantor Fitzgerald calls Rocket Lab one of the industry leaders and believes its current stock price looks like an attractive entry point for investors. Sheppard gave the stock an "upgraded" rating and set a target price of $72 - nearly 60% above the current price. Since the beginning of the year, Rocket Lab securities have already risen 67%.

MarketWatch points out that Rocket Lab has an order book of about $1.1 billion as of the third quarter of 2025. Rocket Lab could benefit from new government contracts this year, Sheppard believes. The company is currently fulfilling a $515 million order from the U.S. Space Development Agency and is competing for another project worth up to $900 million.

Another important driver is Rocket Lab's future first launch of the Neutron rocket. The flight is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026, while the company originally expected to launch the rocket into space by the end of 2025. Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck emphasized: "Neutron will only fly when we are fully confident that it is ready."

According to Sheppard, Neutron is now the only viable alternative to SpaceX's Falcon 9, which dominates the launch market.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor