Archer Aviation (ACHR) vs Joby Aviation (JOBY): eVTOL Rivals Facing -38% and -56% Declines
Key Takeaways
- ACHR (Archer Aviation) and JOBY (Joby Aviation) are direct competitors in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, a sector still in a pre-revenue, certification-heavy phase.
- Both stocks have declined sharply in 2026, with ACHR down roughly 38% year to date and JOBY down about 56%.
- JOBY is closer to commercial revenue, having raised its full-year 2026 revenue outlook to $115–$125 million, largely on its Blade acquisition.
- ACHR has broadened into defense and autonomous aviation through a deal to acquire Boeing-backed assets including Wisk Aero, Insitu, and SkyGrid.
- Wall Street carries a Strong Buy consensus on ACHR versus a Hold consensus on JOBY, reflecting different near-term risk profiles.
- Legal and financing risks remain live for both companies, including an active JOBY trade-secrets verdict of $116.9 million.
Introduction
Archer Aviation (ACHR) and Joby Aviation (JOBY) stand out as the leading pure-play names in the developing air-taxi space. Both are working on electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft designed for short urban trips, and both continue to work through regulatory, production, and funding hurdles. A side-by-side look at these two makes sense for investors focused on growth in early-stage aviation tech, especially when tracking how sector sentiment affects each name differently. Their strategies overlap in some areas but diverge in others, which helps highlight where execution risks and potential opportunities may lie.
Archer Aviation Overview and Recent Performance
Archer Aviation, based in San Jose, is developing the Midnight eVTOL with an eye toward urban air mobility, including initial U.S. operations and a target of serving Los Angeles near the 2028 Olympics. Recently the company expanded beyond passenger aircraft by agreeing to acquire three Boeing-owned units—Wisk Aero, Insitu, and SkyGrid—in exchange for roughly a 20% equity stake plus warrants. This step brings in defense drones, autonomous software, and some existing revenue.
Financially, Archer is still early in its development. It posted around $5 million in revenue in the latest quarter while operating expenses ran into the hundreds of millions, driven by spending on R&D, certification, and manufacturing. That gap has kept investor caution in place. Shares of ACHR are down about 38% year to date even as the company advances toward FAA certification. I also checked this using Tickeron’s AI Screener to see how the stock compares to others in the industry. Analysts still lean positive overall, with a Strong Buy consensus and price targets that point to meaningful upside.
Joby Aviation Overview and Recent Performance
Joby Aviation, headquartered in Santa Cruz, is building an all-electric vertical take-off and landing air taxi meant for both its own operations and sales to partners. The company is further along the revenue path after completing the acquisition of Blade Air Mobility’s passenger business and reporting about $36 million in quarterly revenue from that segment. It raised its full-year 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $115 million to $125 million and holds roughly $2.3 billion in cash and short-term investments.
Even with that progress, JOBY shares have lagged, falling about 56% year to date—more than its peer. A recent federal jury award of $116.9 million to supplier Aerosonic over trade-secret claims adds legal uncertainty, though Joby plans to appeal. The company is moving through the final stage of FAA type certification and expanding manufacturing with Toyota, but ongoing cash burn and the legal matter have pressured sentiment. Analysts currently hold a more cautious Hold consensus.
Head-to-Head Comparison
The main difference comes down to timing on the commercialization path. JOBY already produces real revenue through Blade and has updated its guidance higher, while ACHR is still essentially pre-revenue and is looking to scale via acquisitions. At the same time, Archer’s move into defense and autonomous aviation could help lessen dependence on the pace of passenger-service adoption.
Risk profiles also differ. Joby faces a sizable unresolved legal liability, whereas Archer deals with financing and dilution concerns as it integrates new businesses and maintains high spending. Market views currently favor ACHR more, with a Strong Buy consensus versus Hold for JOBY, though both sit well below their 52-week highs. Both face the same core challenges of lengthy FAA certification, high cash burn, and untested consumer demand for air taxis.
AI Perspective on the Pair
From what I see in the data, Tickeron’s AI would likely lean toward ACHR right now. The stock shows stronger analyst backing, a pipeline of catalysts from its defense and autonomous expansion, and a milder year-to-date drop. JOBY, meanwhile, contends with fresh legal overhang and a steeper decline that may affect near-term trend consistency. Joby’s existing revenue base and larger cash position still provide a stability argument that Archer has not yet reached. Any AI-based tilt should be viewed as probabilistic and subject to changes in momentum and positioning.
Using Tickeron’s Trending AI Robots for Sector Context
When comparing names like these, I often turn to Tickeron’s Trending AI Robots page for a data-driven view. It highlights AI-driven bots that are currently performing well in prevailing conditions and covers a range of strategies and timeframes. Checking automated positioning here can add useful perspective on how systematic approaches are handling opportunities in the eVTOL space without replacing individual analysis.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
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JOBY's Indicator enters downward trend
The Aroon Indicator for JOBY entered a downward trend on October 07, 2026. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor identified a pattern where the AroonDown red line was above 70 while the AroonUp green line was below 30 for three straight days. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. A.I.dvisor looked at 258 similar instances where the Aroon Indicator formed such a pattern. In 223 of the 258 cases the stock moved lower. This puts the odds of a downward move at 86%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bearish Trend Analysis
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where JOBY declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 86%.
Bullish Trend Analysis
The RSI Indicator demonstrates that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 2 days, which means it's wise to expect a price bounce in the near future.
The Stochastic Oscillator shows that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 5 days. The price of this ticker is presumed to bounce back soon, since the longer the ticker stays in the oversold zone, the more promptly an upward trend is expected.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for JOBY just turned positive on September 22, 2026. Looking at past instances where JOBY's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 41 of 50 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 82%.
Following a +1.12% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where JOBY advanced for three days, in 206 of 257 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 80%.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 45 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to consistent earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 86 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating slightly worse than average price growth. JOBY’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 98 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (3.446) is normal, around the industry mean (142.182). P/E Ratio (19.850) is within average values for comparable stocks, (14.484). JOBY's Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (0.000) is slightly lower than the industry average of (0.572). Dividend Yield (0.000) settles around the average of (0.012) among similar stocks. JOBY's P/S Ratio (47.847) is very high in comparison to the industry average of (7.125).
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 98 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating weak sales and an unprofitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 100 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. JOBY’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 72, placing this stock worse than average.
Industry description
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Fundamental Analysis Ratings
The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows
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Industry AirFreightCouriers
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