New York, Jan 16, 2026, 10:30 EST — Regular session
- Archer Aviation shares climbed in early trading, tracking gains seen in other air-taxi stocks.
- A Needham analyst stuck with a Buy rating, maintaining a $10 price target.
- Options flow screens highlighted a spike in unusual call contracts for the stock.
Archer Aviation Inc shares climbed roughly 4% on Friday, boosting the electric air-taxi maker’s market cap amid active options trading and sustained buzz from a recent Wall Street endorsement. The stock gained 35 cents, reaching $9.21 in morning deals.
This move is crucial since Archer and its rivals remain in the early prove-it phase. Without much commercial service underway, their stocks mainly react to milestones like flight tests, certification progress, and fresh funding news.
Options can inject fuel into the market. These contracts grant investors the right to buy or sell shares at a fixed price before a deadline; call options usually bet on a price increase but also serve as hedges.
On Jan. 14, Needham’s Chris Pierce reaffirmed a Buy rating on Archer, holding firm on a $10 price target. A TipRanks summary highlighted the backing from funding and key 2026 flight milestones as crucial upcoming markers. TipRanks
Separate options-flow screens flagged numerous call contracts in Archer as “unusual,” spanning expiries from February and June 2026 through 2027 and 2028, according to TrendSpider. The data doesn’t clarify if these trades were purely bullish bets or involved hedges. trendspider.com
The rebound wasn’t confined to just one name. Joby Aviation shares climbed roughly 4%, while Vertical Aerospace added about 3.5%, signaling a wider risk-on mood in the electric vertical takeoff and landing sector.
Archer is working on “Midnight,” an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOL, designed for short urban hops. The company holds a Part 135 certificate from the FAA, allowing it to operate commuter or on-demand services. But the Midnight still requires specific FAA approvals before it can start flying paying passengers. Reuters
Earlier this month, Archer announced plans to build aviation AI systems on NVIDIA’s IGX Thor platform, aiming to showcase the integration at its Hawthorne airport site in Los Angeles. Founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said NVIDIA’s technology would “give us the foundation to accelerate toward safer, smarter aircraft systems.” Archer Aviation
The downside scenario here isn’t new: certification delays, persistent high costs, and quick capital demands. Archer warned it will keep losing money while pushing through testing and commercialization, as highlighted in its October update announcing a new airline deal. Reuters
Archer’s next big event is earnings, though the company hasn’t set an official date. MarketBeat predicts the report will drop around Feb. 26 after the market closes, following their usual schedule. Traders will focus on any updates about certification progress and how the company is managing cash. marketbeat.com
