New York, Jan 14, 2026, 10:04 (ET) — Regular session
Archer Aviation shares slipped 0.8% to $8.40 in early trading Wednesday, despite Needham sticking with a buy rating and a $10 price target, per a report from GuruFocus. 1
Timing is key as air-taxi stocks have been moving like rate-sensitive plays following new U.S. inflation figures. The consumer price index climbed 0.3% in December, marking a 2.7% rise year-over-year, while core inflation edged up 0.2% for the month, according to a Reuters report.
These firms remain years away from stable revenue, making them vulnerable to shifts in rate-cut forecasts. Rising interest rates often squeeze valuations for companies with distant cash flows, a factor rattling eVTOL shares this week. 2
Archer dropped 4.4% on Tuesday, finishing at $8.47, down from $8.86 on Monday, the company’s investor site shows. 3
On Wednesday, peers showed a soft tone with mixed results: Joby Aviation slipped 2.4%, while Vertical Aerospace dropped 1.6% in early New York trading.
Archer, the eVTOL developer, is staying focused on its tech roadmap. At CES last week, it revealed plans to partner with Nvidia’s IGX Thor platform. CEO Adam Goldstein described the move as a step toward safer, smarter systems. “CES has always been a launchpad for technologies that reshape industries,” Goldstein said. 4
Investors remain focused on tougher milestones: securing Federal Aviation Administration type certification, which means official approval of a specific aircraft design, and proving the company can produce planes at scale without constant setbacks.
The downside is straightforward and looms over the group: certification deadlines might slip, and pre-revenue companies could be pushed to return to the market for funding. Raising new equity always carries the risk of diluting shareholders, even if Wall Street remains optimistic about long-term demand.
Macro headlines offered little relief. “We expect the CPI report to show a meaningful payback after collection issues,” said Oscar Munoz, chief U.S. macro strategist at TD Securities, ahead of Tuesday’s data release. 5
Traders have marked the Federal Reserve’s Jan. 27-28 policy meeting as the next key event, using it to adjust their expectations for rates and the impact on high-beta growth stocks.
All eyes now turn to Archer’s upcoming earnings report, slated for around Feb. 26, per Zacks. 6
