Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) Trading Up 13.4% Following Analyst Upgrade

Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL)’s share price shot up 13.4% on Wednesday after Morgan Stanley raised their price target on the stock from $26.00 to $35.00. Morgan Stanley currently has an equal weight rating on the stock. Planet Labs PBC traded as high as $36.16 and last traded at $36.10. 7,158,984 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 46% from the average session volume of 13,336,483 shares. The stock had previously closed at $31.83.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on PL. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $16.40 price objective on shares of Planet Labs PBC in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Northland Securities set a $28.00 target price on Planet Labs PBC in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Planet Labs PBC from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Citigroup upped their price target on Planet Labs PBC from $19.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Craig Hallum reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $30.00 price objective on shares of Planet Labs PBC in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $27.25.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Vijaya Gadde sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.77, for a total value of $535,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 250,169 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,697,024.13. This trade represents a 7.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Kristen Robinson sold 47,835 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.96, for a total value of $1,289,631.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 222,897 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,009,303.12. This trade represents a 17.67% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 218,566 shares of company stock valued at $5,896,276. Insiders own 17.53% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Planet Labs PBC

Here are the key news stories impacting Planet Labs PBC this week:

• Positive Sentiment: European manufacturing expansion — Planet has started recruiting to staff a new Berlin satellite‑manufacturing facility, a concrete step toward scaling production and shortening delivery timelines. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: All‑time/high breakout tied to Europe expansion and sector momentum — coverage notes Planet “rocketed” to an all‑time high as investors rewarded the European buildout and broader optimism in space stocks. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst / media recognition — Planet was cited as a top space‑stock to watch and flagged in thematic pieces that boost institutional interest and flows. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target moves and upgrades have supported momentum — media reported an analyst upgrade / 1‑year‑high note that helped fuel the rally. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $35 but left an “equal weight” rating — the higher target is constructive for upside, but the neutral rating tempers the buy‑side endorsement. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings overhang remains — the company recently reported a sizable EPS miss despite solid revenue growth and margin improvements; that mixed fundamental print can prompt short‑term profit‑taking after a big run.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Planet Labs PBC

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Hsbc Holdings PLC bought a new stake in Planet Labs PBC in the 4th quarter valued at $8,457,000. Osbon Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Planet Labs PBC during the 4th quarter worth about $554,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Planet Labs PBC by 5,433.1% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 61,860 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,220,000 after acquiring an additional 60,742 shares during the period. Virtue Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Planet Labs PBC by 1,837.6% during the 4th quarter. Virtue Capital Management LLC now owns 83,296 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,700,000 after acquiring an additional 78,997 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its position in shares of Planet Labs PBC by 9.5% during the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 14,631 shares of the company’s stock valued at $288,000 after acquiring an additional 1,267 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 41.71% of the company’s stock.

Planet Labs PBC Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $10.13 billion, a P/E ratio of -41.42 and a beta of 1.95. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $25.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $18.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.37, a current ratio of 1.65 and a quick ratio of 1.64.

Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 19th. The company reported ($0.48) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.05) by ($0.43). The business had revenue of $86.82 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $78.17 million. Planet Labs PBC had a negative return on equity of 69.61% and a negative net margin of 80.22%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 41.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Planet Labs PBC will post -0.37 EPS for the current year.

About Planet Labs PBC

Planet Labs PBC is a public benefit corporation that operates one of the largest fleets of Earth-imaging satellites, providing high-frequency, high-resolution imagery and data analytics to a broad range of industries. The company’s multi-spectral satellite constellation captures daily snapshots of the planet, enabling clients to monitor changes in agriculture, forestry, urban development, energy infrastructure and environmental conditions. Planet’s imagery platform is designed to support timely decision-making by transforming raw satellite data into actionable insights for business and government users.

Founded in 2010 by former NASA scientists Will Marshall, Robbie Schingler and Chris Boshuizen, Planet Labs grew from a small startup into a key provider in the satellite imaging sector.