Space & Defense Stocks After the Bell: Rocket Lab Pops, Virgin Galactic Plunges, AeroVironment Misses as SpaceX IPO Buzz Builds (Dec. 9, 2025)
Space and defense stocks swung sharply Tuesday as the leveraged DFEN ETF fell 1.7%, while the sector digested news of a $1 trillion U.S. defense bill advancing in Congress and Germany preparing €52 billion in new contracts. BAE Systems rose 2.1% in London. SpaceX confirmed plans for a 2026 IPO that could become the largest in history.