AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Stock Price Down 5.6% – What’s Next?

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) was down 5.6% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $77.12 and last traded at $80.66. Approximately 31,214,718 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 69% from the average session volume of 18,454,025 shares. The stock had previously closed at $85.43.

Trending Headlines about AST SpaceMobile

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

• Positive Sentiment: Successful BlueBird 8, 9, and 10 satellite launches strengthen AST SpaceMobile’s direct-to-device network and support its path toward broader commercial service. AST SpaceMobile Shares Rise on Successful Bluebird Satellite Launches. What This Means for ASTS Stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and investors are highlighting ASTS’s growing moat, including roughly 60 mobile network operator partnerships, nearly 3 billion potential subscribers, and $1.2 billion in minimum contractual commitments. AST SpaceMobile’s Moat Is Growing
• Positive Sentiment: Several bullish notes argue the stock could benefit from upcoming revenue inflection and operating leverage as the satellite constellation expands and commercial operations approach. AST SpaceMobile: From Bear To Bull – FY27 Commercial Commencement Unlocks Substantial Operating Leverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary says ASTS still looks volatile, with the recent rally coming after a sharp prior pullback and the stock still well below some valuation estimates. AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) Stock Could Be 38% Below Fair Value Despite Recent Price Move
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the operational progress, ASTS still faces execution risk because it must keep launching satellites and convert its backlog into meaningful revenue before the business model fully scales. ASTS Stock Pops as AST SpaceMobile Launches Bluebird Satellites

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. B. Riley Financial boosted their target price on AST SpaceMobile from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Barclays increased their price target on AST SpaceMobile from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. William Blair reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Friday, May 29th. Zacks Research upgraded AST SpaceMobile from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of AST SpaceMobile from $85.00 to $80.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $81.33.

AST SpaceMobile Price Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $89.37 and a 200-day moving average of $88.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 18.47 and a quick ratio of 18.37. The company has a market cap of $31.31 billion, a P/E ratio of -45.31 and a beta of 2.70.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 11th. The company reported ($0.66) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.23) by ($0.43). AST SpaceMobile had a negative net margin of 573.67% and a negative return on equity of 24.87%. The company had revenue of $14.73 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $39.01 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned ($0.20) earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1952.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at AST SpaceMobile

In related news, major shareholder Hiroshi Mikitani sold 1,350,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.22, for a total value of $116,397,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 27,980,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,412,448,964.10. This represents a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Julio A. Torres sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.34, for a total value of $1,145,100.00. Following the sale, the director owned 43,239 shares in the company, valued at $3,300,865.26. The trade was a 25.76% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 3,185,809 shares of company stock worth $284,200,492. Corporate insiders own 20.89% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AST SpaceMobile

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Western Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 105.3% during the 1st quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,961 shares of the company’s stock valued at $825,000 after buying an additional 5,108 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in AST SpaceMobile in the 1st quarter worth approximately $621,000. Lombard Odier Asset Management Europe Ltd purchased a new stake in AST SpaceMobile in the first quarter worth approximately $249,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in AST SpaceMobile by 1.1% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 93,836 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,776,000 after buying an additional 1,036 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Optiver Holding B.V. purchased a new stake in AST SpaceMobile in the first quarter worth approximately $445,000. 60.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AST SpaceMobile Company Profile

AST SpaceMobile is a U.S.-based aerospace company developing a space-based cellular broadband network designed to connect standard mobile phones and other devices directly to satellites. The company’s core proposition is “space-to-cell” service: operating a constellation of low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites equipped with large, high-power phased-array antennas to provide wide-area mobile broadband without requiring users to buy specialized terminals or handset modifications.

AST SpaceMobile designs, builds and operates satellite payloads and supporting ground infrastructure.