AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Upgraded to "Hold" at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded AST SpaceMobile from a “strong sell” to a “hold” in its latest report.
• The company posted a revenue beat ($54.31M vs. $39.53M) with revenue up 2,731% YoY and disclosed >$1.2B in contracted backlog plus plans to launch 45–60 satellites by end‑2026, but it missed EPS (‑$0.26 vs. ‑$0.18) and remains unprofitable with negative margins and ROE.
• Analyst and market sentiment is mixed — MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of “Reduce” with an average target of $63.77 while the stock trades near $93.86, and insiders (notably Tower Corp) have sold large stakes recently.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on ASTS. Scotiabank lowered shares of AST SpaceMobile from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector underperform" rating and set a $45.60 price objective for the company. in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of AST SpaceMobile from $43.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, B. Riley Financial decreased their price objective on AST SpaceMobile from $105.00 to $95.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $63.77.

AST SpaceMobile Trading Down 10.5%

NASDAQ:ASTS opened at $93.86 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $34.45 billion, a PE ratio of -71.11 and a beta of 2.77. The company has a current ratio of 16.35, a quick ratio of 9.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. AST SpaceMobile has a 12 month low of $18.22 and a 12 month high of $129.89. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $94.71 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $73.64.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 2nd. The company reported ($0.26) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.18) by ($0.08). AST SpaceMobile had a negative return on equity of 23.02% and a negative net margin of 482.16%.The business had revenue of $54.31 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $39.53 million. The company's revenue was up 2731.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that AST SpaceMobile will post -0.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AST SpaceMobile

In related news, major shareholder Tower Corp /Ma/ American sold 2,288,621 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.75, for a total value of $159,631,314.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 211,379 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,743,685.25. This trade represents a 91.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, COO Shanti B. Gupta sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.34, for a total transaction of $773,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 382,375 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,572,882.50. The trade was a 2.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders acquired 2,015 shares of company stock worth $149,144. 30.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ASTS. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. increased its stake in AST SpaceMobile by 48.0% during the third quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 532,960 shares of the company's stock worth $26,158,000 after acquiring an additional 172,759 shares during the last quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System lifted its stake in AST SpaceMobile by 342.2% during the second quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 132,087 shares of the company's stock worth $6,172,000 after purchasing an additional 102,217 shares during the last quarter. Yarbrough Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 28.0% in the 3rd quarter. Yarbrough Capital LLC now owns 99,372 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,877,000 after buying an additional 21,739 shares in the last quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC acquired a new position in AST SpaceMobile in the third quarter valued at $1,882,000. Finally, PAX Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile in the 2nd quarter valued at about $822,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.95% of the company's stock.

Key AST SpaceMobile News

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

• Positive Sentiment: TELUS commercial agreement expands ASTS’s addressable market in Canada and underpins near-term commercial revenue and operator validation. This deal underlies much of the recent buying interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Orange added AST SpaceMobile to its satellite roster, putting Europe direct-to-cell trials on a late‑2026 calendar — another major operator endorsement that supports long-term commercial rollout expectations. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Company fundamentals update: ASTS reported meaningful 2025 revenue (cited ~$70.9M) and disclosed >$1.2B in contracted backlog plus plans to launch 45–60 satellites by end‑2026 — data points that support growth narrative and justify higher multiples for some investors. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst action: UBS raised its price target from $43 to $85 but kept a “neutral” rating — the higher target signals improving fundamentals, yet the neutral stance and target below some market prices can temper upside momentum. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry comparison and coverage pieces (e.g., Rocket Lab comparisons, sector mover rundowns) keep ASTS in investor conversations but mainly provide context rather than direct catalysts. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability and execution risk remain: ASTS missed EPS expectations in its recent quarter and still shows negative margins and ROE — continuing cash burn and execution risk can pressure the stock when investors de‑risk. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive risk: commentary on threats from incumbents (e.g., SpaceX/Starlink) and execution complexity for a large satellite rollout are ongoing downside risks that can amplify selling during short-term negative sentiment. Read More.

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.

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