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SpaceX shares extend slide to nearly 23% from Nasdaq-100 entry after Starship scrub

SpaceX shares fell again on Friday, extending a drawdown that has now reached nearly 23% since the company joined the Nasdaq-100. The latest leg came a session after the company called a last-second abort on a Starship…

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NewsMV Markets Desk
3 min read
19 July 2026Markets desk
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SpaceX shares fell again on Friday, extending a drawdown that has now reached nearly 23% since the company joined the Nasdaq-100. The latest leg came a session after the company called a last-second abort on a Starship rocket test flight.

The Nasdaq-100 entry and the tape since

SpaceX's addition to the Nasdaq-100 was the kind of milestone that typically draws a fresh category of institutional buyer and signals expanded visibility. The stock's behavior since that entry has run the other direction. Shares have retreated nearly 23% from the level where the index inclusion placed them. That kind of drawdown from an index-entry point complicates the thesis for buyers who stepped in around that event.

Friday extended the slide. The session followed a Thursday in which SpaceX called a last-second abort on a Starship rocket test flight. An operational headline on top of an existing downtrend is a familiar dynamic on the tape.

The Starship abort and what it adds to the setup

A last-second abort is technically a successful safety response. The hardware did not launch. In the context of a stock already down nearly 23% from its Nasdaq-100 entry, however, each operational setback adds weight to questions about program timing. SpaceX's Starship program is the company's most visible development effort, and a scrub at the pad registers in the market as a question about schedule rather than a routine engineering step.

Friday's session offered no volume or open-interest context to separate a capitulation flush from a trend continuation. A move that arrives without that kind of activity signature is harder to call a definitive turn. The tape's direction since the Nasdaq-100 entry has been one-way.

What to watch

The next concrete development is a rescheduled Starship test flight date. When SpaceX confirms that date, it becomes the event with the clearest potential to shift the current narrative. Until then, the Nasdaq-100 entry is carrying a nearly 23% loss with no confirmed launch window on the books.

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Filed via cnbc.com

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Key takeaways

Frequently asked

How much has SpaceX stock dropped since joining the Nasdaq-100?

SpaceX shares have retreated nearly 23% from the level where the Nasdaq-100 inclusion placed them.

What happened with the Starship test flight?

SpaceX called a last-second abort on a Starship rocket test flight on Thursday, so the hardware did not launch.

Why does the Starship abort matter for the stock?

With the stock already down nearly 23% from its Nasdaq-100 entry, each operational setback adds weight to questions about the program's schedule and timing.

What should investors watch next?

The next concrete development is a rescheduled Starship test flight date, which SpaceX has not yet confirmed and which could shift the current narrative.