AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Stock Price Down 1.6% - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• AST SpaceMobile shares fell 1.6% in Wednesday trading, ending near $87.32 after briefly touching $87.12, with volume running below average.
• The company’s June 17 launch of BlueBird 8, 9, and 10 is seen as an important catalyst for its satellite-to-smartphone broadband plan and 2026 deployment goals.
• Despite some bullish long-term views, analyst sentiment remains cautious: the consensus rating is “Reduce,” the average price target is $81.33, and recent earnings missed estimates on both EPS and revenue.

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS - Get Free Report)'s stock price fell 1.6% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $87.12 and last traded at $87.32. 15,504,878 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 13% from the average session volume of 17,772,064 shares. The stock had previously closed at $88.71.

Key AST SpaceMobile News

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

• Positive Sentiment: AST SpaceMobile’s confirmed June 17 launch of BlueBird 8, 9, and 10 is a key catalyst, as investors see progress toward scaling its direct-to-smartphone satellite broadband network and meeting 2026 deployment goals. Article: Can AST SpaceMobile's Upcoming Satellite Launch Advance Connectivity?
• Positive Sentiment: Some investors are still bullish on the long-term opportunity, with commentary suggesting ASTS could benefit if SpaceX/Starlink-related hype lifts interest across space stocks, and that ASTS may have a differentiated position in the satellite connectivity market. Article: The SpaceX IPO Is Closer Than You Think. These Are the Stocks That Win When It Happens.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on ASTS. Zacks Research raised AST SpaceMobile from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Friday, March 27th. Barclays boosted their price target on AST SpaceMobile from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. UBS Group cut their price target on AST SpaceMobile from $85.00 to $80.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, New Street Research set a $106.00 price target on AST SpaceMobile in a report on Friday, May 29th. One 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.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $81.33.

AST SpaceMobile Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $33.91 billion, a P/E ratio of -49.09 and a beta of 2.70. The company has a quick ratio of 18.37, a current ratio of 18.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $89.89 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $87.38.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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). The business had revenue of $14.74 million during 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%.The business's revenue was up 1952.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.20) EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at AST SpaceMobile

In related news, major shareholder Hiroshi Mikitani sold 1,350,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 approximately $2,412,448,964.10. The trade was a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Andrew Martin Johnson sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.25, for a total value of $451,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 565,805 shares in the company, valued at $51,063,901.25. This represents a 0.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 3,140,000 shares of company stock valued at $279,903,150 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 20.89% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AST SpaceMobile

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ASTS. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position 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 in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 4.6% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 79,764 shares of the company's stock worth $1,814,000 after buying an additional 3,515 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 16.1% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 467,626 shares of the company's stock worth $10,634,000 after buying an additional 64,989 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in AST SpaceMobile by 18.1% during the first 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 purchasing an additional 49,811 shares during the period. Finally, Strs Ohio purchased a new stake in AST SpaceMobile during the first quarter valued at approximately $168,000. 60.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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