Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) Shares Gap Up – Should You Buy?

Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $32.40, but opened at $33.98. Planet Labs PBC shares last traded at $31.2120, with a volume of 5,475,570 shares changing hands.

Planet Labs PBC News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Planet is expanding production in Berlin to serve growing European AI satellite demand — this boosts revenue visibility in Europe and supports higher-margin satellite production capacity. Planet Labs Expands Berlin Production To Serve European AI Satellite Demand
• Positive Sentiment: Company is accelerating its European buildout with key job openings for a new Berlin manufacturing facility, signaling faster scale-up and potential revenue/cost benefits from local production. Planet Labs PBC Accelerates European Expansion with Key Job Openings for New Berlin Manufacturing Facility
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target from $26 to $35 (equal-weight), which institutional investors often view as validation of the company’s growth trajectory and supported recent buying interest. Read More
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and coverage lifted the stock intraday (one note cited a 13.4% move after an upgrade), amplifying momentum and retail/institutional attention. Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) Trading Up 13.4% Following Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage noting a 765% one‑year rise and Planet’s first full fiscal year of profitability has drawn broader market and retail attention, supporting multiple expansion and sentiment gains. Planet Labs Stock Has Risen 765% in a Year and Wall Street Is Just Now Paying Attention
• Neutral Sentiment: Planet announced redemption terms for public warrants — this can simplify the capital structure and reduce future dilution but is not a clear cash-earnings catalyst in the near term. Planet Announces Redemption of Public Warrants
• Negative Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains cautious (average rating: “Hold”), which can limit near-term upside despite positive operational news and may encourage profit-taking by investors after the recent run. Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on PL. Craig Hallum restated a “buy” rating and issued a $30.00 target price on shares of Planet Labs PBC in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Zacks Research raised shares of Planet Labs PBC from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Planet Labs PBC from $19.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Planet Labs PBC from $26.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on shares of Planet Labs PBC from $20.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Planet Labs PBC has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $27.25.

Planet Labs PBC Trading Down 4.5%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.37, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 1.65. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $25.71 and a 200-day moving average of $18.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.70 billion, a P/E ratio of -39.54 and a beta of 1.95.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Planet Labs PBC

In other news, CFO Ashley F. Johnson sold 150,731 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.01, for a total transaction of $4,071,244.31. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 1,956,101 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $52,834,288.01. This represents a 7.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, 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 transaction, the director directly owned 222,897 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,009,303.12. The trade was a 17.67% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 218,566 shares of company stock valued at $5,896,276 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 17.53% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Planet Labs PBC

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its holdings in Planet Labs PBC by 320.3% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 7,678,938 shares of the company’s stock worth $151,429,000 after buying an additional 5,851,758 shares during the period. Barclays PLC boosted its position in shares of Planet Labs PBC by 758.1% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,727,743 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,386,000 after purchasing an additional 3,293,333 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Planet Labs PBC by 265.6% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,450,479 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,787,000 after purchasing an additional 2,506,595 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its stake in Planet Labs PBC by 257.5% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 2,362,275 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,662,000 after purchasing an additional 1,701,535 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Planet Labs PBC by 9.7% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 18,551,697 shares of the company’s stock worth $240,801,000 after purchasing an additional 1,637,880 shares in the last quarter. 41.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.