Shares of Red Cat Holdings (RCAT) fell on Monday morning amid a broader market sell-off sparked by escalating U.S.-Iran tensions. However, retail sentiment on Stocktwits improved, with some investors betting the conflict could drive higher demand for military drones.
dropped over 3% in morning trade, to a nearly two-month low, and was the top trending ticker on Stocktwits at the time of writing. Retail sentiment around the company improved to ‘bullish’ from ‘bearish’ territory over the past day, while chatter stayed at ‘normal’ levels.
Why Retail Traders Are Turning Bullish On Red Cat
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed Sunday it used "one-way attack sea drones for the first time" as part of a broader strike package targeting Iranian air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and small boats. This was the latest in a series of strikes since Iran resumed attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz on July 7.
CENTCOM's statement did not name the specific drone platform used. However, military outlet Militarnyi reported it's "likely" the sea drones used were a variant called Variant 7, manufactured by Red Cat, closely resembling Ukraine's Magura naval drone.
While CENTCOM hasn't identified the manufacturer, the Pentagon has evaluated one-way attack sea drone designs from multiple companies, including Saronic Technologies, MARTAC, Blue Ops, and Sierra Nevada, as well as Red Cat's UFORCE unit.
Retail traders on Stocktwits leaned into the speculation. One user pointed to Thompson's Hormuz comments as evidence that the company anticipated this kind of demand, while another flagged the reported Variant 7 connection directly.
Red Cat CEO Points To Middle East Demand
During the company's Q1 earnings call, CEO Jeffrey Thompson had pointed directly to the Strait of Hormuz as validation for this category of weapon.
"The Strait of Hormuz has been a great example of the need for this type of weapon system," Thompson said, adding that a Red Cat team is already in the region "by invitation" and that the company sees itself becoming "a very valuable partner in the Arabian Peninsula."
Thompson also disclosed that Red Cat has been invited to INDOPACOM next month and plans to participate in a bid for a 1,300-unit unmanned surface vessel program in Taiwan, expected to be awarded in the first quarter (Q1) of 2027.
RCAT’s stock has gained over 3% this year but is down by almost 2% in the last 12 months.