** Shares of Virgin Galactic Holdings SPCE.N surge 76%, after the space company said late on Thursday it was keeping pace with plans to relaunch commercial spaceflights by the summer of 2026
** SPCE on track for largest single-day pct gain since its 2019 stock listing via a blank-check company
** SPCE has planned a commercial spaceflight carrying research payload in mid-2026, followed by private astronaut spaceflights in the fall of the same year
** Ten analysts covering SPCE, rate it "hold", with a median PT of $4.50, which is 24% below its current price of $5.95
** With Friday's gain, the stock is up 1% YTD, vs Nasdaq's .IXIC 0.1% drop
(Reporting by Noel Randewich)
((noel.randewich@thomsonreuters.com))