Astra plans reverse stock split, seeks to raise up to $65 million

Spacecraft engine manufacturer and small rocket builder Astra plans to conduct a reverse stock split at a 1-to-15 ratio, the company disclosed in a securities filing on Monday

Astra also seeks to raise up to $65 million through an “at the market” offering of common stock, the filing said.

Shares of Astra were little changed in afterhours trading from their close at 40 cents a share. The company went public in July 2021 via a SPAC deal, at a near $2 billion valuation, before the stock began to tumble after launch failures and development setbacks.

Astra’s filing said the reverse stock split is expected to take place on or before October 2, after its board approved the plan on July 6. The company previously outlined a reverse split as part of its plan to avoid delisting by the Nasdaq exchange.

A reverse split does not affect the fundamentals of a company, as it is not dilutive to the stock and does not change the company’s valuation, but it would lift the stock price by combining shares. A reverse split can be seen as a sign a company is in distress and is trying to “artificially” boost its stock price, or it can be viewed as a way for a viable company with a beaten up stock to continue operations on a public exchange. Functionally, a reverse split, often done as a 1-for-10, would mean a $3 stock, for example, would become $30 a share.