Archer Aviation (NYSE:ACHR) Shares Up 8.7% – Still a Buy?

Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE:ACHR)’s stock price rose 8.7% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $7.08 and last traded at $6.8050. Approximately 89,648,468 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 134% from the average session volume of 38,286,906 shares. The stock had previously closed at $6.26.

Archer Aviation News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Archer Aviation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Boeing transaction expands Archer’s business: Archer will acquire the three Boeing units in an all-stock deal, while Boeing receives approximately a 20% stake and a board seat. The agreement adds autonomous-flight technology, air-traffic-management capabilities and unmanned aircraft expertise. Archer to acquire Boeing’s Wisk and two subsidiaries
• Positive Sentiment: Defense exposure could provide nearer-term revenue: Insitu is an established defense-drone business generating more than $200 million in annual revenue, giving Archer a potential cash-flow source while its Midnight electric air taxi proceeds through certification. Management also sees defense applications for its autonomous Halo/Thunder aircraft platform. Archer CEO Says Defense Could Solve Its Air Taxi Problem
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain bullish: Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an Overweight rating with an $11 price target, while H.C. Wainwright reiterated its Buy rating and projected revenue could grow from approximately $17 million in 2026 to $800 million by 2028. H.C. Wainwright revenue forecast
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly revenue beat estimates: Second-quarter revenue was $5 million versus a consensus estimate of $1.94 million, reflecting early operations. However, Archer’s adjusted EBITDA loss remained substantial at roughly $177 million, and management expects another sizable loss in the third quarter. Archer Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Risks include dilution and execution: Issuing equity to Boeing will dilute existing shareholders, while integrating three businesses could raise costs and complicate operations. The deal also requires regulatory clearance, and Archer continues to face heavy cash burn despite approximately $1.6 billion in liquidity. Archer buys Boeing defense business

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on ACHR. Wells Fargo & Company set a $18.00 price target on Archer Aviation in a report on Tuesday. UBS Group reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Archer Aviation in a research note on Tuesday. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their target price on Archer Aviation from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Archer Aviation in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Archer Aviation in a report on Tuesday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $12.43.

Archer Aviation Stock Performance

The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $5.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $5.98. The company has a quick ratio of 18.06, a current ratio of 18.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.17 billion, a PE ratio of -6.19 and a beta of 3.20.

Archer Aviation (NYSE:ACHR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported ($0.34) EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of ($0.34). The firm had revenue of $5.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.94 million. As a group, research analysts predict that Archer Aviation Inc. will post -1.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Archer Aviation news, CFO Priya Gupta sold 9,860 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.95, for a total transaction of $58,667.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 189,050 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,124,847.50. This trade represents a 4.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Eric Lentell sold 48,169 shares of Archer Aviation stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.95, for a total value of $286,605.55. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 141,084 shares in the company, valued at approximately $839,449.80. This trade represents a 25.45% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 250,743 shares of company stock worth $1,497,672. 5.55% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Archer Aviation

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACHR. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Archer Aviation during the 4th quarter valued at about $58,494,000. Man Group plc raised its position in Archer Aviation by 13,793.3% during the second quarter. Man Group plc now owns 4,212,722 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,708,000 after acquiring an additional 4,182,400 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in Archer Aviation by 423.3% in the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 5,126,217 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,549,000 after acquiring an additional 4,146,574 shares in the last quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Archer Aviation by 12.4% during the 4th quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 35,170,701 shares of the company’s stock worth $264,484,000 after purchasing an additional 3,869,252 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Archer Aviation by 11.2% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 32,773,136 shares of the company’s stock worth $246,454,000 after purchasing an additional 3,293,130 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 59.34% of the company’s stock.

About Archer Aviation

Archer Aviation, Inc (NYSE: ACHR) is a California-based aerospace company developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed to serve as sustainable urban air mobility solutions. Founded in 2018 by Adam Goldstein and Brett Adcock, Archer focuses on the design, development and certification of zero-emissions air taxis aimed at reducing traffic congestion in densely populated metropolitan areas. The company’s flagship prototypes, “Maker” and “Midnight,” have been engineered to deliver quiet, efficient short-haul flights with ranges of up to 100 miles per charge.

Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Archer operates a manufacturing facility in nearby Santa Cruz County and maintains research partnerships with automotive and energy companies, including a collaboration with Stellantis to integrate advanced battery systems.