Retail investors actively discussed five stocks this week from June 15 to June 18 on platforms such as X and Reddit’s r/WallStreetBets. The discussions were driven by retail hype, earnings reports, listings, momentum in AI infrastructure, and corporate or geopolitical news flow. The companies generating the most interest were Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Microsoft Corp., Netflix Inc., Intel Corp., and Achieve Life Sciences Inc.

Space Exploration Technologies

SpaceX shares continued strong momentum early in the week after debuting on June 12, following a record $75 billion IPO priced at $135. The company’s market cap surpassed that of Amazon.com Inc. earlier in the week. SpaceX also announced the acquisition of AI coding startup Anysphere Inc. in an all-stock deal valued at an implied equity value of $60 billion, according to a Form 8-K filed Tuesday. Retail investors expressed skepticism regarding the stock's meteoric rise following its listing. The stock traded between $149.34 and $225.64 this week, closing at $185 per share on Thursday. It has advanced by 23.33% since its listing.

Microsoft

Microsoft shares traded in a volatile range, roughly between $393 and $400, experiencing modest pullbacks amid broader market rotation and profit-taking. Attention focused on the TechCon 365 Chicago conference from June 15 to 19, which highlighted Microsoft 365, Power Platform, and AI/Copilot tools. A potential $3 billion deal for Microsoft to lease Oracle Corp.’s cloud infrastructure was reportedly halted due to a lack of FedRAMP security compliance, a claim Oracle disputed. Billionaire investor Bill Ackman announced he deployed nearly 85% of capital from his closed-end fund to buy tech behemoths like Meta Platforms Inc. and Microsoft. Retail investors remained bullish on Microsoft, particularly for its AI potential. The stock had a 52-week range of $356.28 to $555.45, trading around $379 to $380 per share. It declined by 21.00% over the year, 21.61% in the last six months, and 21.55% YTD.

Netflix

Netflix was a major topic of discussion due to a recent stock dip, perceived undervaluation, and ongoing merger and acquisition rumors. Futurum Equities’ Shay Boloor argued the market is misreading the business, citing a massive opportunity as the stock hit its lowest valuation multiple in nearly four years at 25 times earnings. Paramount Skydance reportedly alleged that Netflix is attempting to undermine its proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Retail investors viewed the stock as cheap. The stock had a 52-week range of $75.01 to $134.12, trading around $77 to $78 per share. It declined 36.69% over the year, 17.68% in the last six months, and 17.47% YTD.

Intel

Intel shares surged mid-to-late week after President Donald Trump announced that Apple Inc. agreed to partner with Intel on designing and manufacturing chips in the U.S. The company also appointed Seok-Hee Lee as EVP of Intel Foundry to lead advanced packaging and manufacturing acceleration. The stock had a 52-week range of $18.97 to $135.48, trading around $133 to $134 per share. It surged 523.50% over the year, rose 269.32% over the last six months, and increased 263.12% YTD.

Achieve Life Sciences

Achieve Life Sciences’ stock was in focus weeks after promising clinical trial results for a new nicotine cessation drug and its Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA. The designation could expedite the drug's review. The company is also conducting trials for vaping cessation. Investors were optimistic about its market potential. The stock had a 52-week range of $2.0000 to $6.1600, trading around $4 to $5 per share. It advanced by 54.46% over the year and 11.75% over the last six months, while dropping 2.41% YTD.

Coinbase Global Inc. CEO Brian Armstrong stated on Thursday that building data centers in orbit around Earth is becoming more efficient than constructing them on land due to excessive regulation. Armstrong argued that unchecked regulations and government spending are harming progress, suggesting that future frameworks should address these gaps. He noted that freedom is often found on the frontier, implying that space offers a more conducive environment for technological advancement.

Elon Musk joined the discussion, asserting that space-based computing is inevitable because it offers a scale a trillion times greater than what is possible on Earth. Musk has long advocated for orbital computing, and his company, Space Exploration Technologies Corp., claims to be the only entity with a commercially viable path to build it at scale. The aerospace giant plans to launch initial demonstrations of space-based artificial intelligence computing infrastructure by late 2027.

Gavin Baker, managing partner and Chief Investment Officer at Atreides Management and an early SpaceX investor, provided an economic perspective on the shift. Baker estimated that SpaceX's Starship would reduce launch costs to roughly $5 billion per gigawatt. This reduction in cost would make orbital compute significantly cheaper than on Earth, potentially accelerating the adoption of space-based data centers.

Orbital compute involves computers and servers operating aboard satellites or space stations in Earth's orbit. The concept is gaining traction as a solution to the regulatory and physical constraints faced by terrestrial data centers. Armstrong and Musk's comments highlight a growing belief among tech leaders that space is the next frontier for computational scale and innovation.

The discussion underscores a broader trend of tech leaders looking beyond Earth to overcome regulatory hurdles and achieve exponential growth. With SpaceX's planned demonstrations in 2027, the feasibility of space-based computing could soon move from theoretical to practical, reshaping the future of the industry.