$15.61. That’s the number flickering on the screens right now for Joby Aviation (JOBY) as of mid-morning, January 16, 2026. If you’ve been watching the "flying car" space for a while, you know this price point feels like a deep breath before a potentially chaotic plunge or a vertical takeoff.
Honestly, the stock is acting a bit jittery today. We saw it open around $15.39, dip slightly, and then catch a bid that pushed it up over 2% from yesterday’s close of $15.28. It's a classic tug-of-war. On one side, you have the "show me the money" crowd who are tired of looking at quarterly losses. On the other, you have the believers who see Joby as the Tesla of the skies.
What’s Actually Moving the Joby Aviation Stock Price Today?
Markets don't just move on vibes; they move on milestones. Right now, the biggest catalyst is the news that Joby just took delivery of its first advanced flight simulators from CAE. This might sound like a minor detail—basically just high-tech video games, right? Wrong.
In the eyes of the FAA, these simulators are a "means of compliance." That’s regulator-speak for: "You can't fly passengers until you prove your pilots are trained in a digital twin of the aircraft." By getting these simulators into their Marina, California facility, Joby is essentially signaling that the training pipeline for their first 250 pilots is officially open.
🔗 Read more: Price of Tesla Stock Today: Why Everyone is Watching January 28
The Certification Race is Peaking
We are currently in the thick of the 2026 certification window. Joby has been very vocal about wanting to start commercial service this year. They aren't just messing around in the Mojave Desert anymore. They’ve flown in Dubai, Japan, and New York.
But here’s the rub: the FAA is notoriously slow. While Joby is prepping for Type Inspection Authorization (TIA)—the final boss of flight testing—there is a non-zero chance that bureaucratic red tape pushes the first revenue flight into 2027. If you're holding the stock today, that’s the risk you're pricing in.
The Dubai Factor and the Global Play
If the U.S. remains a headache, Joby is looking toward the UAE. They have a memorandum of understanding to launch an air taxi service in Dubai in 2026. Unlike the U.S., where they have to integrate into the world's most complex airspace, Dubai is acting like a massive sandbox for this tech.
💡 You might also like: GA 30084 from Georgia Ports Authority: The Truth Behind the Zip Code
Wait, it gets more interesting. Joby isn't just a manufacturer; they want to be the Uber of the air. By partnering with Delta Air Lines and Uber, they’re trying to own the entire "home-to-airport" experience. Imagine booking an Uber to a vertiport, hopping in a Joby S4, and landing at JFK 7 minutes later. That's the vision.
Is the Stock Overvalued at a $14 Billion Market Cap?
Let's get real for a second. Joby has a market cap of roughly $14.3 billion. They have almost no revenue from their actual core product yet. Most of their current income—about $22 million last quarter—came from flight services for the Department of Defense and their acquisition of Blade’s passenger business.
Basically, you’re paying for a dream right now.
📖 Related: Jerry Jones 19.2 Billion Net Worth: Why Everyone is Getting the Math Wrong
- The Bull Case: Joby has over $1 billion in cash. They have Toyota’s manufacturing muscle behind them. They are years ahead of competitors like Archer (ACHR), which is still hovering at a much lower valuation. If they hit their 2026 launch target, $15 will look like a steal.
- The Bear Case: They are burning hundreds of millions a year. Analysts think they might need another $1.5 billion in equity by 2027 to actually scale. That means dilution. If you own 100 shares today, they might represent a smaller piece of the pie in two years.
Comparing Joby to the Rest of the Pack
It’s a bit of a "Survivor" episode in the eVTOL world. Lilium? Insolvent. Vertical Aerospace? Struggling. Archer? Still in the race but arguably a lap behind in terms of flight hours.
Joby’s "go-it-alone" strategy—building their own motors, their own electronics, and their own software—was a massive gamble. It’s expensive and slow. But now that they are nearing the finish line, that vertical integration is starting to look like a moat. They don't have to wait on a third-party supplier to fix a glitch; they own the code.
What to Watch Next
If you’re looking for a sign to buy or sell, keep your eyes on the "Pilot-in-Aircraft" (PIA) testing. This is the moment FAA pilots actually get in the cockpit. If those tests go smoothly over the next few months, the stock could easily test its 52-week high of $20.95.
If there’s a "safety incident" or a major software delay? $10 isn't out of the question.
Actionable Takeaways for Investors
- Check the Cash Runway: Don't just look at the stock price; look at the burn rate in the next 10-K filing. If the cash drops below $800 million without a clear certification date, expect a capital raise.
- Monitor the UAE Progress: The Dubai launch is the litmus test. If they can fly there, the concept is proven.
- Position Sizing: This is a high-beta tech stock. It shouldn't be your entire retirement fund. Treat it like a venture capital play.
- Watch the $15 Support: Historically, the stock has shown some floor around these levels. If it breaks significantly lower on high volume, the market might be sensing a delay we don't know about yet.
The sky is literally the limit for Joby, but for today, the stock is staying grounded in reality as investors wait for the FAA to say the magic words: "Cleared for takeoff."