Archer Aviation (ACHR) Stock Jumps 12% on FAA Progress and Institutional Buying

TLDR

• Archer Aviation (ACHR) rose nearly 7% on Wednesday and over 12% in the past week, recovering from a ~30% year-to-date decline.
• The FAA accepted 100% of Midnight aircraft’s Means of Compliance, a key step toward certification.
• The White House eVTOL pilot program has added policy tailwinds, with Archer seen as a potential early beneficiary.
• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group purchased over 1.4 million shares, pushing institutional ownership above 50%.
• Archer remains pre-revenue with an expected adjusted EBITDA loss of $160M–$180M, though it ended 2025 with ~$2 billion in liquidity.

Archer Aviation stock has been climbing again after a rough start to 2026. The stock was down around 30% year-to-date before this week’s move, having slipped well below its $10 highs. The latest bounce brings it back toward $6.08, with over 26 million shares traded on Wednesday alone.

Archer Aviation Inc., ACHR

The stock carries a beta of 3.24 and a market cap of around $4.52 billion. Its 50-day moving average sits at $6.27, and its 200-day moving average is at $8.10, meaning it’s still trading below both key technical levels.

At its most recent earnings, Archer posted an EPS of -$0.26 against an expected -$0.17. Revenue came in at $0.30 million versus a consensus estimate of $1.40 million. Despite the miss, revenue was up nearly 30,000% year-over-year, reflecting minimal prior-period comparables.

FAA Milestone Drives Sentiment Shift

The clearest catalyst this week was regulatory news. Archer confirmed the FAA accepted 100% of the Means of Compliance for its Midnight aircraft. That acceptance clears the way for deeper testing and validation work ahead of full certification.

The company has targeted late 2026 for first passenger flights. Its work with Hopscotch Air on route design is helping frame what actual operations could look like, moving the conversation from concept toward execution.

The White House eVTOL pilot program has also drawn attention. Archer is among the companies viewed as potential early participants, adding a layer of policy support to the regulatory progress.

Institutional Activity Picks Up

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group recently bought more than 1.4 million shares, which helped drive the latest price move. Institutional ownership has now crossed 50%, with hedge funds and institutions holding about 59.3% of the company.

A Vanguard filing showing zero shares created some confusion, but Vanguard Index Funds still hold about 5.86% of the company. The earlier filing appears to reflect an internal reporting change rather than a full exit.

On the insider side, CTO Thomas Paul Muniz sold 94,725 shares in early March at an average price of $6.46. Fellow insider Tosha Perkins sold 54,786 shares at the same price. Total insider selling over the past 90 days came to about 255,750 shares worth roughly $1.65 million.

Needham cut its price target from $10 to $9 in March while maintaining a Buy rating. The consensus across five analysts with Buy ratings, two Holds, and one Sell sits at a “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $12.

Archer ended 2025 with approximately $2 billion in liquidity. The company expects an adjusted EBITDA loss of $160 million to $180 million, keeping cash burn in focus for investors watching the path to revenue.

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