SpaceX, the space company led by Elon Musk, is reportedly leaning toward a Nasdaq listing for its potential initial public offering, with one major condition: a rapid path into the Nasdaq 100 index. People familiar with the matter said the company wants to join the benchmark soon after going public. A potential IPO could come as early as June, although no final decision has been made.
The New York Stock Exchange is also said to be competing for the listing, highlighting how significant the deal could be for U.S. equity markets. For a company of SpaceX’s scale and visibility, exchange choice is not only about prestige. It also affects index inclusion timing, passive fund demand, and overall market liquidity following the debut.
Nasdaq Pushes Faster Index Inclusion for Large New Listings
Nasdaq recently proposed a rule designed to speed up the inclusion of major newly listed companies in the Nasdaq 100. Under the proposal, if a company’s market capitalization ranks within the top 40 of the index, it could be added within one month of listing. That framework would be especially relevant for a company like SpaceX, which is expected to debut at an enormous valuation.
According to the report, SpaceX is targeting a valuation of $1.75 trillion. If achieved, that would make it the sixth-largest U.S. company by market capitalization. Such a size would likely strengthen the case for rapid index inclusion and could generate substantial attention from institutional investors and index-tracking funds.
Listing Venue Still Undecided
At this stage, SpaceX has not finalized where it will list. The outcome may depend on exchange rules, IPO timing, and whether Nasdaq’s proposed inclusion mechanism moves forward. For markets, the story underscores the growing importance of index access in major IPO decisions. Investors will now be watching for formal updates on SpaceX’s listing plans, its choice of exchange, and the final shape of Nasdaq’s proposed rule.