AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Stock Falls 15.2% – Here’s Why

Shares of AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) were down 15.2% during trading on Thursday. The stock traded as low as $28.98 and last traded at $30.20. 32,955,151 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 98% from the average session volume of 16,667,891 shares. The stock had previously closed at $35.62.

AST SpaceMobile News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AST SpaceMobile this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Major rocket and engine agreement: AST SpaceMobile plans to develop a 20-ton rocket, called Blacklift, to launch its BlueBird satellites. A three-year agreement with Firefly Aerospace, valued at more than $1.3 billion, covers engines, licensed technology and engineering support. Bringing launch capability in-house could help AST manage satellite deployment, but the plan will require successful development and execution. AST SpaceMobile rocket announcement Firefly engine deal details
• Positive Sentiment: Government and market opportunities: Recent coverage also points to a U.S. Space Force contract supporting space-based sensing, and potential commercial-service growth in Brazil. These could broaden AST’s opportunities beyond its core direct-to-phone service, though the provided reports offer limited detail on expected revenue or timing. Space Force contract Brazil growth discussion
• Neutral Sentiment: Near-term earnings catalyst: AST is scheduled to report third-quarter results after the market closes November 9. One report cites analyst expectations for a loss of $0.42 per share and revenue of $45.73 million; options pricing signals that traders expect a potentially sharp move in either direction. Earnings and options expectations
• Negative Sentiment: Securities class action: Multiple law firms are publicizing a filed lawsuit on behalf of investors who purchased AST securities from March 4, 2025, through July 15, 2026. The allegations are not proven, but the litigation creates reputational and potential legal-cost risks; November 13 is the lead-plaintiff deadline. Class action deadline notice

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ASTS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of AST SpaceMobile from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $93.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on AST SpaceMobile from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered AST SpaceMobile to a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Monday, September 21st. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $80.67.

AST SpaceMobile Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $52.17 and a 200-day moving average price of $76.01. The company has a market capitalization of $12.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -15.11 and a beta of 2.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 12.90 and a current ratio of 13.05.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported ($0.77) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.32) by ($0.45). AST SpaceMobile had a negative return on equity of 22.88% and a negative net margin of 536.66%. The company had revenue of $31.52 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.53 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.41) earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at AST SpaceMobile

In other news, COO Shanti B. Gupta sold 12,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.89, for a total transaction of $706,680.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 462,980 shares in the company, valued at $27,264,892.20. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CTO Huiwen Yao sold 40,000 shares of AST SpaceMobile stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.93, for a total value of $2,357,200.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 34,750 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,047,817.50. This represents a 53.51% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 20.89% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of AST SpaceMobile

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Compass Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in AST SpaceMobile during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Grove Bank & Trust bought a new stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Continuum Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its position in AST SpaceMobile by 16,350.0% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 329 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 327 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Community Financial Services Group LLC bought a new stake in AST SpaceMobile during the second quarter worth $47,000. 60.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About AST SpaceMobile

AST SpaceMobile, Inc develops a space-based cellular broadband network designed to connect directly with standard mobile phones, without requiring users to purchase specialized satellite devices. Its planned services include voice calls, text messaging and mobile broadband, delivered through partnerships with mobile network operators and integrated with their existing networks.

The company is developing and deploying its BlueBird satellite system to provide coverage in areas where terrestrial cellular networks are unavailable or limited.