AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Trading 5.5% Higher – Time to Buy?

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) rose 5.5% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $70.10 and last traded at $68.65. 11,188,463 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 37% from the average session volume of 17,664,773 shares. The stock had previously closed at $65.06.

Key Stories Impacting AST SpaceMobile

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

• Positive Sentiment: The Federal Communications Commission granted AST SpaceMobile a 30-day authorization to test satellite connectivity using 800 MHz frequencies. ASTS already has approval to test the same spectrum with up to 100 commercially available phones near Midland, Texas, and Lanham, Maryland, through September 12. The testing could provide additional validation for the company’s direct-to-device technology. AST SpaceMobile’s FCC Test Arrives as Investors Weigh a Costly Q2 Miss
• Positive Sentiment: AST SpaceMobile and SpaceX are reportedly pursuing prized satellite spectrum. Securing additional spectrum could strengthen ASTS’s network capacity and competitive position, although the report does not indicate that ASTS has won the frequencies. ASTS Stock Rises Overnight: AST SpaceMobile And SpaceX Reportedly Chase Prized Satellite Spectrum
• Positive Sentiment: An investor letter from Crossroads Capital highlighted ASTS’s direct-to-device capability as a competitive advantage, potentially reinforcing the long-term investment case for the company’s satellite-to-smartphone model. Unique Direct to Device Capability Strengthens AST SpaceMobile’s Competitive Edge
• Neutral Sentiment: Policy proposals targeting more than 1,000 U.S. space launches annually could expand industry demand and benefit launch, satellite and lunar-economy companies, but the effect on ASTS is indirect and depends on future government implementation. Trump Targets Over 1,000 US Space Launches A Year
• Negative Sentiment: Delclaux Partners sued AST SpaceMobile for more than $15 million in allegedly unpaid contractual finder’s fees tied to financing arrangements. The case creates potential legal costs, financial exposure and reputational risk. Delclaux Partners Sues AST SpaceMobile for More Than $15 Million in Unpaid Contractual Finder’s Fees
• Negative Sentiment: SpaceX’s Starlink constellation has surpassed 11,000 satellites, highlighting the scale and growing competitive threat ASTS faces in satellite connectivity. ASTS also recently reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss and lower-than-expected revenue, keeping execution and funding concerns in focus. As Starlink Passes 11,000 Satellites, These 5 Stocks Will Feel It First

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of AST SpaceMobile from $80.00 to $78.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. New Street Research set a $106.00 price target on AST SpaceMobile in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Scotiabank upgraded AST SpaceMobile from a “sector underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and set a $50.80 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, B. Riley Financial raised AST SpaceMobile from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $85.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $85.98.

AST SpaceMobile Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $26.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -32.08 and a beta of 2.75. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $70.53 and its 200-day moving average is $83.26. The company has a quick ratio of 12.90, a current ratio of 13.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported ($0.77) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.32) by ($0.45). The firm had revenue of $31.52 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.53 million. AST SpaceMobile had a negative return on equity of 22.88% and a negative net margin of 536.66%.During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.41) earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.95 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other AST SpaceMobile news, CTO Huiwen Yao sold 40,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.37, for a total value of $3,854,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 34,750 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,348,857.50. The trade was a 53.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Andrew Martin Johnson sold 45,809 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.81, for a total value of $4,297,342.29. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 503,619 shares in the company, valued at approximately $47,244,498.39. This represents a 8.34% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 20.89% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AST SpaceMobile

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ASTS. Grove Bank & Trust bought a new stake in AST SpaceMobile in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Continuum Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of AST SpaceMobile during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 16,350.0% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 329 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 327 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in AST SpaceMobile during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Finally, Portus Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in AST SpaceMobile during the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 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.