Recent flight demonstrations highlight advantages, while ARK’s Joby share purchases signal confidence.
- Joby’s eVTOL completed a 45-minute car journey in less than half the time during its Florida demonstration.
- ARK Invest sees autonomous eVTOLs potentially matching taxi fares.
- Last week, ARK Invest increased its JOBY holdings through ARKQ and ARKX.
Joby Aviation (JOBY) stock is drawing attention ahead of its third-quarter (Q3) earnings as ARK Invest analyst Tasha Keeney sees autonomous electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft eventually offering fares competitive with traditional taxis.
Joby Aviation stock traded over 2% lower overnight, heading into Wednesday. The stock has been declining for the past five months.
Joby’s Aircraft Demonstrates Its Speed Advantage
In an X post, ARK Invest analyst Daniel Maguire recalled how St. Petersburg hosted the first commercial airline journey in 1914. Pilot Tony Jannus carried former St. Petersburg Mayor Abram Fail to Tampa Bay in about 23 minutes. Fail paid $400 for the trip, equivalent to more than $10,000 in 2026 dollars.
The experimental airline service operated for three months, giving the industry important lessons about running commercial flights. More than a century later, the same Florida waterfront hosted a demonstration of an electric aircraft developed by Joby Aviation.
Keeney said a drive that normally requires about 45 minutes took the aircraft less than half that time.
Flying Taxis Could Challenge Road-Based Transportation
The demonstration offered an early look at how electric aircraft could change short-distance transportation, particularly in cities where road travel frequently slows down.
“In the future, we expect that eVTOLs that are autonomously operated could price competitively with today’s human-driven taxi cabs.”
She also pointed to the possibility of widespread ground-based robotaxis, which could reduce transportation costs per mile but potentially increase the number of vehicles on roads.
If cheaper autonomous rides lead to heavier traffic, journeys that already take 45 minutes could become even longer. Keeney added that electric aircraft could benefit from that situation by offering passengers a way to avoid busy roads while reaching their destinations in considerably less time.
Last week, ARK Invest made a string of JOBY share purchases through two of its exchange-traded funds (ETFs), ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF (ARKQ) and ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (ARKX), signaling conviction in the company’s commercial flight trials.
Joby has gained momentum following its active involvement in the FAA’s Electric Powered-lift Integration Program (eIPP). The company’s second-quarter revenue jumped 56% to $39 million. Joby will report its Q3 earnings on Nov. 4. Analysts expect $40.42 million in revenue and a loss of $0.25 per share, according to Fiscal.ai.
JOBY Stock: Retail Stance
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around the stock remained ‘bearish’.
A user said, “Ark buying up shares of Joby…. Not a huge fan of Cathie woods, but sometimes you got to follow the money. ”
Another user said, “Hoping for N547 transition flight news and timelines on FAA pilots in seats tomorrow.”
JOBY stock has crashed 63% year-to-date.
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