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AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Trading Down 12.8% - Should You Sell?

AST SpaceMobile logo with Computer and Technology background
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Key Points

  • AST SpaceMobile shares fell 12.8% in midday trading, dropping from a prior close of $107.29 to as low as $90.91. Trading volume was also elevated, coming in about 34% above average.
  • Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with the stock carrying an average “Reduce” rating and a consensus price target of $81.33. Recent reports included downgrades or negative ratings from several firms, even as a few analysts maintained neutral or market-perform views.
  • Despite the selloff, the company still has bullish catalysts tied to Blue Origin’s expected launch resumption and AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird launch progress. However, the article also notes ongoing competitive pressure, macro risks, and weak recent earnings results, including a wider-than-expected loss and revenue below estimates.
  • MarketBeat previews top five stocks to own in July.

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS - Get Free Report) shares traded down 12.8% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $90.91 and last traded at $93.60. 23,720,527 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 34% from the average session volume of 17,741,393 shares. The stock had previously closed at $107.29.

Key Stories Impacting AST SpaceMobile

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have commented on ASTS. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of AST SpaceMobile from $85.00 to $80.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of AST SpaceMobile from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Friday, March 27th. Wall Street Zen downgraded AST SpaceMobile from a "sell" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, William Blair reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research report on Friday, May 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $81.33.

Read Our Latest Report on AST SpaceMobile

AST SpaceMobile Trading Down 12.8%

The firm has a market capitalization of $36.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -52.58 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 firm's 50 day moving average is $89.65 and its 200 day moving average is $86.66.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS - Get Free Report) last posted 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 business had revenue of $14.74 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.01 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted ($0.20) EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 1952.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AST SpaceMobile news, 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 transaction of $451,250.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 565,805 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,063,901.25. The trade was a 0.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CTO Huiwen Yao sold 40,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.88, for a total transaction of $3,555,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 4,750 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $422,180. The trade was a 89.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 3,100,000 shares of company stock worth $276,048,350. Company insiders own 20.89% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AST SpaceMobile

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ASTS. Vodafone Ventures Ltd acquired a new stake in AST SpaceMobile during the 4th quarter valued at $397,413,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile in the fourth quarter worth $198,270,000. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 13.4% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 19,919,888 shares of the company's stock valued at $977,668,000 after buying an additional 2,351,539 shares in the last quarter. Clear Street Group Inc. acquired a new position in AST SpaceMobile during the third quarter valued at $90,129,000. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised its position in AST SpaceMobile by 44.0% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 4,661,551 shares of the company's stock valued at $338,569,000 after buying an additional 1,425,199 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.95% of the company's stock.

AST SpaceMobile Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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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This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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