Virgin Galactic (SPCE) stock was up close to 10% in Friday premarket trading, building on a 19.53% surge from Thursday. The stock was changing hands around $4.98 as two pieces of positive news hit at once.
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc., SPCE
The company announced that its VSS Unity spacecraft has returned to flight operations at Spaceport America in New Mexico. Unity completed the first of several planned glide flights designed to prepare pilots and ground teams ahead of new Spaceship operations.
According to Spaceline President Mike Moses, Unity’s glide characteristics serve as a real-world stand-in for the next-generation vehicle. The glide profile, landing approach, and cockpit view all mirror the new spacecraft, giving pilots live experience in conditions they’ll face when the new Spaceship takes flight.
Virgin Galactic plans to perform glide tests with its first new Spaceship in Q3 2026. Rocket-powered test flights to space are expected in Q4 2026.
The next-generation fleet is designed to fly twice per week, with an expected vehicle lifetime of more than 500 missions. That’s a big step up from Unity’s operational cadence.
The return to flight follows a period of grounded operations that had weighed on investor sentiment. The visual of a spacecraft back in the air gave momentum buyers something tangible to latch onto.
On May 19, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York granted preliminary approval for a settlement in two longstanding shareholder derivative lawsuits.
Virgin Galactic’s insurers will pay $2.75 million to the company, with half retained by SPCE once the settlement receives final approval. All claims are expected to be dismissed or declared moot at that point.
The company’s current and former officers and directors denied all claims and allegations of wrongdoing. The settlement removes litigation pressure that had been hanging over the stock.
SPCE is trading well above its trend gauges. The stock is 63.1% above its 20-day moving average and 48.8% above its 200-day moving average — the kind of stretch that follows a sharp run.
RSI sits at 78.65, firmly in overbought territory. The 20-day SMA is above the 50-day SMA, a bullish near-term crossover, but the 50-day remains below the 200-day following a death cross in January.
Key resistance sits at $5.00, with the 52-week high zone near $5.23. Round-number ceilings like this often need sustained volume to push through cleanly.
Analyst consensus is a Hold, with an average price target of $3.43 — well below current trading levels. Jefferies carries a Buy rating with a $5.00 target, while Morgan Stanley sits at Underweight with a $2.30 target.
Virgin Galactic’s next financial update is estimated for August 5, 2026. The current EPS estimate is a loss of 68 cents, an improvement from last year’s $1.47 loss.
The post Virgin Galactic (SPCE) Stock Jumps 10% on Return to Flight and Legal Settlement appeared first on CoinCentral.
