AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Downgraded to Hold Rating by Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Key Points

• Deutsche Bank downgraded AST SpaceMobile from buy to hold and set a $106 price target, implying limited downside from the prior close.
• The stock has seen mixed analyst sentiment overall, with a consensus rating of Reduce and an average price target of $78.08 despite a few recent target increases from other firms.
• AST SpaceMobile remains highly watched for its satellite launch plans and long-term direct-to-smartphone network rollout, but recent earnings showed a miss on EPS and revenue versus estimates.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued on Friday. They currently have a $106.00 price target on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft's target price indicates a potential downside of 3.26% from the company's previous close.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research note on Friday, March 27th. B. Riley Financial raised 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. Zacks Research raised AST SpaceMobile from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Barclays boosted 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. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of AST SpaceMobile from a "sell" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $78.08.

AST SpaceMobile Price Performance

Shares of AST SpaceMobile stock traded down $23.52 on Friday, hitting $109.57. The company had a trading volume of 12,952,873 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,115,938. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $87.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $85.05. 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 $42.53 billion, a PE ratio of -62.01 and a beta of 2.60. AST SpaceMobile has a 52 week low of $22.47 and a 52 week high of $133.86.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 11th. The company reported ($0.66) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.23) by ($0.43). The firm had revenue of $14.74 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $39.01 million. AST SpaceMobile had a negative return on equity of 24.87% and a negative net margin of 573.67%.AST SpaceMobile's revenue for the quarter was up 1952.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.20) EPS. Research analysts expect that AST SpaceMobile will post -1.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Julio A. Torres sold 15,000 shares of AST SpaceMobile stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.34, for a total value of $1,145,100.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 43,239 shares in the company, valued at $3,300,865.26. The trade was a 25.76% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, major shareholder Hiroshi Mikitani sold 1,350,000 shares of the business's 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 sale, the insider directly owned 27,980,155 shares in the company, valued at $2,412,448,964.10. This trade represents a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,100,000 shares of company stock valued at $276,048,350. 20.89% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of AST SpaceMobile

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 11.8% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 34,548 shares of the company's stock worth $786,000 after buying an additional 3,642 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 4.6% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 79,764 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,814,000 after acquiring an additional 3,515 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 16.1% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 467,626 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,634,000 after acquiring an additional 64,989 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 18.1% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 325,621 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,405,000 after acquiring an additional 49,811 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio purchased a new stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $168,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.95% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting AST SpaceMobile

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

• Positive Sentiment: ASTS is benefiting from a broad rally in space infrastructure stocks as investors rotate into names tied to the next major growth cycle for the sector. ASTS, LUNR, RDW Stocks Hit 52-Week Highs Today: What's Driving The Rally?
• Positive Sentiment: Investors remain focused on AST SpaceMobile’s upcoming launches and its long-term satellite deployment plan, which supports the bullish case that the company is moving closer to commercialization. AST SpaceMobile’s June Launch Plan Puts Its 2026 Satellite Goal Back in Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Some market commentary says ASTS is still attracting buyers because it offers direct-to-smartphone satellite exposure at a valuation many investors see as more attractive than the upcoming SpaceX IPO. AST SpaceMobile Over SpaceX Any Day
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also reported a recent insider sale by President Scott Wisniewski, which may add to investor attention but does not necessarily change the long-term story by itself. Insider Selling: AST SpaceMobile NASDAQ: ASTS President Sells 25,904 Shares of Stock
• Negative Sentiment: ASTS is also facing overnight pressure tied to Blue Origin/New Glenn issues, with investors worrying about launch reliability and possible spillover risk for AST’s satellite rollout plans. ASTS Stock Slides Overnight: Blue Origin Explosion Raises Fresh Fears For 45-Satellite Rollout
• Negative Sentiment: Separate headlines also point to valuation risk and dilution concerns, which could limit upside if execution slows or capital needs increase. The SpaceX IPO Frenzy Is Creating 2 Very Different Bets (ASTS)

About AST SpaceMobile

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.

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