York Space Systems Inc. (YSS) Stock Price & How to Invest
Short answer
YSS is York Space Systems, a US space and defense prime that designs and builds satellite platforms (its S-CLASS, LX-CLASS, and M-CLASS buses) for national security and commercial customers, and trades on the NYSE. It is a real, fast-growing operating business (roughly $396M trailing revenue) but a newly public one still running net losses, so it carries both government-demand tailwinds and early-stage execution risk.
YSS stock price
As of 2026-07-08, York Space Systems Inc. (YSS) last closed at $21.00, down 27.6% over the past month. Over its trading history so far it has traded between $17.68 and $43.45.
Prices are daily closing prices from Yahoo Finance and may be delayed. For the live quote, check your broker or York Space Systems Inc.'s investor relations page. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.
What does York Space Systems Inc. (YSS) do?
York Space Systems, Inc. (NYSE: YSS) is a vertically integrated space and defense prime headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Founded in 2012 and formerly known as Yellowstone Midco Holdings II, it designs, produces, integrates, and operates spacecraft and constellations built on standardized satellite platforms (S-CLASS, LX-CLASS, and M-CLASS). Its largest customer is the US Space Development Agency, where it has been a prime awardee across the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) tranches, and it is positioned into national-security programs tied to missile tracking and the Golden Dome initiative. The company went public in late January 2026 and has been acquiring suppliers, including propulsion maker Orbion Space Technology and solar-technology firm Solestial, to build out a more vertically integrated stack.
The investment picture is one of rapid top-line growth paired with heavy investment and losses. Revenue rose more than 50 percent in 2025 to roughly $386M and trailing revenue is near $396M, with management guiding 2026 revenue to a $545M to $595M range backed largely by existing backlog. At the same time the business is unprofitable, reporting a sizeable net loss, and its results skew toward fixed-price contracts and a concentrated government customer base. That combination, real contracts and a defense-demand tailwind against negative earnings and a recent-IPO valuation, is the central tension for anyone studying the name.
What's driving York Space Systems Inc. (YSS)?
1. Government space-architecture demand
York is an incumbent prime on Space Development Agency tranches and is positioned into next-generation national security programs including missile-tracking layers and the Golden Dome initiative. This proliferated low-Earth-orbit build-out is a multi-year procurement cycle that underpins much of the reported backlog.
2. Backlog conversion and revenue growth
Backlog rose to roughly $642M, up about 18 percent, and management guides 2026 revenue to $545M to $595M with over 70 percent of the midpoint expected from existing backlog. Converting that pipeline into delivered spacecraft on fixed-price terms is the primary driver of the growth story.
3. Vertical integration via acquisitions
The company acquired propulsion supplier Orbion Space Technology and agreed to acquire solar-technology firm Solestial, aiming to bring more of the satellite bus in-house. Successful integration could improve margins and supply control, though it also raises execution and integration demands.
4. Commercial constellation diversification
York finalized a $187M commercial contract for a 20-plus satellite constellation on its M-CLASS platform, with a stated pathway for follow-on orders. Growing commercial revenue would reduce reliance on a single government customer over time.
What are the risks to York Space Systems Inc. (YSS)?
York is not yet profitable and reported a large trailing net loss, so its valuation embeds expectations of future growth and margin improvement that may not materialize. Customer concentration is significant, with the Space Development Agency a dominant buyer and a heavy mix of fixed-price contracts that can compress margins if costs run over. As a company that only went public in January 2026, it has a short track record as a listed issuer, limited profitability history, and a volatile share price (a 52-week range of roughly $17 to $45). Government budget shifts, program delays, and integration risk from recent acquisitions could all weigh on results.
How is York Space Systems Inc. (YSS) valued? (approximate, JULY 2026)
A simple financial snapshot. These are approximations and refresh quarterly; for current figures see York Space Systems Inc.'s investor relations page or your broker.
- Revenue (TTM): ~$396M
- 2025 Revenue: ~$386M (+52% YoY)
- 2026 Revenue guidance: ~$545M to $595M
- Net income (TTM): ~-$249M (net loss)
- Market cap: ~$2.7B to $3.2B
- Share price: ~$21 to $25
York trades at roughly 6 to 8 times trailing revenue with no positive earnings, a valuation typical of a high-growth, recently public defense-space name. Backlog of about $642M and 2026 guidance imply continued strong growth, but the net loss and heavy investment mean the market is pricing future execution rather than current profits. Figures are approximate and drawn from mid-2026 public sources.
Who competes with York Space Systems Inc. (YSS)?
Small-satellite and bus manufacturers
Rocket Lab (Space Systems division and Photon bus), Terran Orbital (now owned by Lockheed Martin), Maxar, and Airbus-owned SSTL compete directly for spacecraft-bus and constellation manufacturing work.
Defense-space primes
Large primes such as Northrop Grumman, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, and Sierra Space bid against York on Space Development Agency and national-security space programs, bringing deeper balance sheets and incumbency.
Vertically integrated new-space players
SpaceX, Firefly Aerospace, and other integrated new-space companies overlap on launch-plus-spacecraft offerings and compete for both government and commercial constellation demand.
How to invest in York Space Systems Inc. (YSS)
There are three common ways to get YSS exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) directly at any major broker. Hold an ETF that includes it, which spreads the position across many companies. Or build it into a focused thematic basket, so YSS sits alongside other stocks that express the same thesis.
Walnut takes the basket route. Describe a thesis where YSS fits (for example “AI infrastructure” or “dividend-growth large-caps”) and the AI proposes 5 to 6 constituents with target weights. You review the plan and fund it through your own broker when you're ready.
The bottom line on York Space Systems Inc. (YSS)
York Space Systems is a genuine defense-space prime with a large backlog and strong revenue growth, priced as a high-expectations 2026 IPO that is not yet profitable.
More on York Space Systems Inc. (YSS)
Whether YSS is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, what would have to go right, and the risks in is YSS a buy?, and where the stock could go from here in the YSS stock forecast.
For income investors, whether YSS pays a dividend and how the payout looks is covered in does YSS pay a dividend?
Build a basket around YSS with Walnut
Use York Space Systems Inc. as one constituent in a thematic basket Walnut's AI helps you assemble. Describe a thesis you believe in, the AI proposes the holdings and weights, and you approve before any broker order.
FAQ
What company is stock ticker YSS?
+
YSS is the NYSE ticker for York Space Systems, Inc., a US space and defense prime based in Greenwood Village, Colorado that designs and builds satellite platforms and constellations. It was formerly known as Yellowstone Midco Holdings II and went public in January 2026.
What does York Space Systems do?
+
York designs, produces, integrates, and operates spacecraft using standardized satellite platforms marketed as S-CLASS, LX-CLASS, and M-CLASS. It serves national security, government, and commercial customers, and is a prime contractor on US Space Development Agency programs.
Is YSS a real operating business or a shell?
+
It is a real operating business founded in 2012 with roughly 710 employees, about $396M in trailing revenue, a backlog near $642M, and active government and commercial contracts. It is not a shell, though it is newly public and not yet profitable.
How much revenue does York Space Systems generate?
+
Trailing revenue is roughly $396M, with 2025 revenue near $386M (up more than 50 percent year over year). Management has guided 2026 revenue to a range of about $545M to $595M, largely backed by existing backlog.
Is York Space Systems profitable?
+
No. As of mid-2026 the company reported a large trailing net loss (around $249M) and negative earnings per share, reflecting heavy investment, acquisitions, and IPO-related costs during a rapid growth phase.
Who are York Space Systems' main customers?
+
Its largest customer is the US Space Development Agency, where it is an incumbent prime across multiple tranches, with exposure to missile-tracking and Golden Dome-related programs. It also has commercial work, including a $187M multi-satellite constellation contract on its M-CLASS platform.
Who competes with York Space Systems?
+
Direct competitors include satellite-bus makers like Rocket Lab, Terran Orbital (Lockheed Martin), Maxar, and Airbus-owned SSTL, plus defense-space primes such as Northrop Grumman, L3Harris, and Sierra Space, and integrated new-space players like SpaceX and Firefly Aerospace.
What are the main risks with YSS stock?
+
Key risks include ongoing net losses, heavy reliance on the Space Development Agency and fixed-price government contracts, a short public track record since its January 2026 IPO, integration risk from recent acquisitions, and a volatile share price. Walnut is not an investment adviser, so treat this as descriptive context rather than a recommendation.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Financial figures on this page are approximations; always verify current numbers with York Space Systems Inc.'s investor relations page or your broker before making investment decisions.