Julio Torres Sells 15,000 Shares of AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Stock

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) Director Julio Torres sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.34, for a total transaction of $1,145,100.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 43,239 shares in the company, valued at $3,300,865.26. This represents a 25.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

AST SpaceMobile Price Performance

AST SpaceMobile stock opened at $83.67 on Friday. AST SpaceMobile, Inc. has a 12-month low of $22.47 and a 12-month high of $129.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.96 billion, a P/E ratio of -47.01 and a beta of 2.60. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $84.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $82.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 18.47 and a quick ratio of 16.27.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 11th. The company reported ($0.66) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.23) by ($0.43). AST SpaceMobile had a negative return on equity of 24.87% and a negative net margin of 573.67%.The firm had revenue of $14.74 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.01 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned ($0.20) earnings per share. AST SpaceMobile’s revenue for the quarter was up 1952.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on ASTS shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $117.00 target price on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $108.00 price target on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of AST SpaceMobile from $85.00 to $80.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Zacks Research raised shares of AST SpaceMobile from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of AST SpaceMobile from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $79.45.

More AST SpaceMobile News

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

• Positive Sentiment: AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile announced a satellite-to-phone joint venture to extend coverage in dead zones, which investors may see as validation of AST SpaceMobile’s direct-to-device business model and a sign of growing demand for space-based mobile connectivity. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: AST SpaceMobile publicly welcomed the carriers’ joint venture, reinforcing the idea that its space-based cellular network could become an important part of future mobile coverage efforts. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: New Street Research launched a new space-economy coverage group and included ASTS on its initial list, which can increase investor attention and trading interest in the stock. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinion remains cautious overall, with a reported consensus rating of “Reduce,” reflecting mixed views on AST SpaceMobile’s execution and valuation. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Director Julio A. Torres sold 15,000 shares, a move that can weigh on sentiment because insider selling sometimes signals reduced confidence, even though he still holds a meaningful stake. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Recent post-earnings coverage continues to highlight ASTS’s Q1 miss, weaker forecasts, and execution risks, which may limit upside despite the positive carrier news. Article Title

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its holdings in AST SpaceMobile by 16,350.0% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 329 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 327 shares during the period. Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Portus Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile in the first quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Advocate Investing Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile in the first quarter worth $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.95% of the company’s stock.

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.