Founded in 2018, Archer Aviation (ACHR -4.82%) designs and develops electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. These aircraft are designed to be used in urban air mobility (UAM) networks, an emerging industry that features transportation systems utilizing small, automated aircraft to move people and cargo in urban areas.
Archer Aviation was founded by University of Florida alumni Brett Adcock and Adam Goldstein, the latter of whom currently serves as the company's CEO and chairman of the board. Its production aircraft, Midnight, is designed to carry four passengers along with a pilot as far as 100 miles at speeds up to 150 miles per hour.
The design of Midnight, which features 12 propellers attached to six booms on a fixed wing, allows for cruising altitudes of around 2,000 feet with noise levels that are approximately 100 times quieter than the average helicopter.
As of late 2025, Archer Aviation is in the process of getting its Midnight aircraft certified with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
NYSE: ACHR
Key Data Points
Archer Aviation began trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in September 2021. It went public through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger. The stock has been generally volatile, trading around $9 at the end of 2025.
In this deep dive into investing in Archer Aviation stock, we'll explore how to buy shares of the stock, whether it deserves your investment dollars, how to invest in the stock through an exchange-traded fund (ETF), and more. Let's take a closer look.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)
How to buy Archer Aviation stock
Because Archer Aviation is publicly traded, the process of buying it is similar to purchasing shares of any other U.S.-listed stock. Here are the important steps you should follow to buy shares.
- Open your brokerage account: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments.
- Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
- Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
- Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
- Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
- Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.
Should I invest in Archer Aviation?
If you have the risk tolerance, sufficient investment horizon, and a well-diversified portfolio to invest in a speculative business like Archer Aviation, this could be an intriguing business to invest in the future of air mobility networks. On the other hand, if you prefer value or dividend-oriented businesses in more established industries, this stock might not be for you.
Once it gets FAA approval, the company will have two correlating business segments: Archer UAM, its direct-to-consumer aerial ride-share service, and Archer Direct, a segment through which it sells its own aircraft to third-party operators.
Archer UAM will initially be launched in select major cities across the U.S. Because Archer Aviation develops and manufactures its own aircraft, management estimates the company will be able to enter the urban air mobility ride-sharing market at competitive prices compared to ground-based ride-sharing solutions.
As for Archer Direct, the company has its first notable purchase agreement lined up after a partnership with United Airlines (UAL -3.84%). Archer Aviation and United have executed a conditional purchase agreement for as much as $1 billion worth of aircraft, with the potential for the airline giant to purchase another $500 million.
Archer Aviation has also received millions in funding as part of a long-standing strategic relationship with Stellantis (STLA -2.88%), the maker of brands like Jeep, Ram, Maserati, Dodge, and Chrysler.
Right now, neither Archer UAM nor Archer Direct is generating revenue while the company awaits final government approval. Archer Aviation is actively working to build out its manufacturing infrastructure so that when approved, it can keep its supply chain moving and roll out production of Midnight aircraft at scale.
Is Archer Aviation profitable?
Archer Aviation is not profitable and is still technically in the pre-revenue stage of its business while its flagship aircraft, awaits FAA certification. Profits are unlikely to occur for at least the first few years of official business operations.
Does Archer Aviation pay a dividend?
Archer Aviation does not pay a dividend. The stock is pre-revenue and has no earnings, so a dividend is not a realistic expectation for investors to have in the near future.
ETFs with exposure to Archer Aviation
ETFs can provide an alternative to investing in more speculative businesses like Archer Aviation alongside more established companies. An ETF is like a pre-packaged basket of stocks that provides you with instant diversification to different businesses and industries with a single purchase of shares.
If you'd like to gain exposure to Archer Aviation through an ETF, several options to consider include:
- Ark ETF Tr-ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK -3.72%)
- SPDR (R) Ser Tr-SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR -2.59%)
- Ark ETF Tr-ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF (ARKQ -3.28%)
- iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF, the iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (ITA -1.32%)
- Ark ETF Tr-Ark Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (ARKX -3.29%)
Will Archer Aviation stock split?
Archer Aviation had no plans to split its stock in late 2025. Most companies only do a stock split when the price of shares has become too high for the average investor to purchase. Given the volatile state of Archer Aviation's shares, which were still just around $10, a stock split does not seem likely in the near future.
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The bottom line on Archer Aviation
Archer Aviation is training its focus on strengthening its supply chain and manufacturing abilities while building piloted aircraft to be used in testing and early commercial deployment, assuming its Midnight aircraft receives the FAA's final stamps of approval.
Management believes that the market opportunity for Archer Aviation and its Midnight aircraft is tremendous, while they admit that this space is still incredibly underdeveloped. That said, the air taxi and ride-sharing industry present a space ripe for disruptors to take a foothold and build an emerging market into a dynamic operating environment.
Archer Aviation could be one of them. The company reportedly had an order backlog topping $6 billion in late 2025. The use cases for Archer Aviation's Midnight aircraft and any subsequent aircraft series remains immense, from defense applications to handling consumer ride-sharing needs.
Shares of Archer Aviation are close to IPO prices at the time of this article. For long-term investors with a healthy appetite for risk, Archer Aviation's potential may warrant a second look or even a moderate investment.
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