Space & Defense Stocks After the Bell: Rocket Lab Pops, Virgin Galactic Plunges, AeroVironment Misses as SpaceX IPO Buzz Builds (Dec. 9, 2025)
As Wall Street closed on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, space and defense stocks delivered a volatile mix of breakouts, bruising sell‑offs, and fresh catalysts that could shape the sector into 2026. Leveraged aerospace & defense ETF DFENfell about 1.7% on the day, underscoring choppy trading beneath the surface even as global defense spending and space ambitions continue to march higher. StockAnalysis At the same time, investors digested big picture headlines: a nearly $1 trillion 2026 U.S. defense policy bill (NDAA)moving through Congress, new German megacontracts lifting European defense names, and a blockbuster SpaceX IPO plan for 2026 that could become the largest stock listing in history. Bloomberg+3TradingView+3Reuters+3 Below