Freedom Broker sees 18% short-term upside in air taxi developer Joby Aviation

Shares of air taxi developer Joby Aviation may be poised for sharp, speculative gains, according to Freedom Broker. Last week, the U.S. government announced an eVTOL pilot program in which Joby is expected to participate. Earlier, the company also agreed to expand its partnership with Uber. Freedom Broker analysts believe these factors could drive the stock higher.

In a note seen by Oninvest, Freedom Broker has issued a short-term trade idea for Joby Aviation, which is developing eVTOL aircraft, to rise to $17 per share on a two-month time horizon. The target price suggests short-term upside of more than 18% from the closing level yesterday, September 16.

The Freedom Broker analysts rate Joby a "buy," but caution that the risk is high. They recommend limiting the position size to 2% of the portfolio.

Freedom Broker highlighted two key factors supporting Joby Aviation’s stock: U.S. government initiatives and the company’s own progress in air taxi trials.

On September 12, the Trump administration announced a pilot program to speed up air taxi development. It will include at least five projects from public-private partnerships with state and local governments and private sector companies to enable safe operations for eVTOL aircraft. Joby intends to participate, along with peers Beta Technologies and Archer Aviation.

Trump’s executive order gives 180 days to select at least five pilot projects that could feasibly launch eVTOL operations within 90 days of their selection. Prospective participants have until December 11 to submit proposals, writes Aviation International News.

Freedom Broker notes that aircraft admitted to the program could begin operations in select markets before full certification is achieved. “This is an important step in preparing for large-scale commercial service,” the analysts wrote, adding that the likelihood of Joby’s inclusion is high.

Freedom Broker also draws attention to Joby’s partnership expansion with Uber through its subsidiary Blade, an urban air mobility platform. Blade’s services will be integrated into the Uber app in 2026, Joby has said. This is expected to provide immediate market access and strengthen the ecosystem: Blade conducted more than 50,000 flights in 2024 and has infrastructure in major markets, including New York and cities in Southern Europe, Freedom Broker explains. In the long term, this cooperation is expected to give Joby access to air taxi infrastructure and Uber’s large user base.

Freedom Broker also recalls that Joby recently successfully demonstrated the Superpilot autonomous system. It was installed on a Cessna cargo plane during an exercise with the U.S. Department of Defense. This could bring opportunities in the defense sector and allow it to diversify its business beyond air taxis.

Freedom Broker notes that Joby shares initially rose following all these announcements before later pulling back. It believes the stock now has a chance for another upswing.

In premarket trading today, Joby Aviation shares are off about 1.2% as of this writing. Since the beginning of the year, the stock is still up 77%.

Wall Street remains cautious on the stock's outlook, MarketWatch data shows. Four analysts rate the stock a "hold," two advise "sell," and only one recommends a "buy." The average target price of $13 per share is below the current market price.

The AI translation of this story was reviewed by a human editor.