Space companies SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin have been awarded $13.5 billion contracts by the U.S. Space Force to launch critical satellites by 2029.
Shares of aerospace and defense company Boeing (NYSE:BA)
fell 9.5% in the afternoon session after President Trump announced "reciprocal tariffs" on all US imports, set at a minimum rate of 10%. Markets reacted negatively to the announcement, reflecting deep concerns among investors about the broader economic implications. The tariffs were likely seen as a significant threat to global trade flows, with the potential to slow economic growth, drive up consumer prices, and spark retaliatory measures.
Rocket Lab USA has expanded its Frontier radio series, introducing upgraded space-qualified RF communication systems. These flight-proven, software-defined radios ensure secure telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) across various orbital conditions.
Ahead of the markets opening on Wednesday, Nokia also announced it struck a deal with India’s second largest telecom company, Bharti Airtel, to expand core network collaboration to speed up the launch of new 5G services.
Palantir Technologies Inc CEO Alex Karp emphasized artificial intelligence's transformative potential for enterprise operations, suggesting the technology could make workers dramatically more efficient when properly deployed.
Defense and aerospace stocks have emerged as a bright spot amid turbulent and chaotic broader market conditions, with the iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (BATS: ITA) up 5.7% year-to-date and the VanEck Defense UCITS ETF (LON: DFNG) up 16%, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq have declined 4% and 10%, respectively, during the same period.
