AST SpaceMobile, Inc. $ASTS Stock: Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Increases Holdings

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group increased its AST SpaceMobile stake by 3.7%, adding 18,971 shares to hold 532,163 shares valued at about $31.3 million. Institutional investors collectively own 60.95% of the company.
• Analyst views are mixed: six rate ASTS a Buy, six a Hold and two a Sell, producing a consensus Hold rating and an average price target of $80.67.
• AST SpaceMobile’s latest reported quarter missed estimates, posting a loss of $0.77 per share versus the expected $0.32 loss and revenue of $31.52 million versus $34.53 million expected. Shares opened at $30.20, near their 52-week low of $28.98.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS - Free Report) by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 532,163 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 18,971 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned about 0.14% of AST SpaceMobile worth $31,323,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of ASTS. Compass Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its position in AST SpaceMobile by 16,350.0% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 329 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 327 shares during the last quarter. Grove Bank & Trust acquired a new position in AST SpaceMobile in the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Continuum Advisory LLC acquired a new position in AST SpaceMobile in the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, CX Institutional increased its holdings in AST SpaceMobile by 1,256.1% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 556 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 515 shares in the last quarter. 60.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on ASTS. Scotiabank upgraded AST SpaceMobile from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and increased their target price for the company from $50.80 to $55.70 in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded AST SpaceMobile from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $93.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, October 12th. B. Riley Financial cut AST SpaceMobile from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $85.00 to $65.00 in a report on Friday, October 2nd. UBS Group began coverage on AST SpaceMobile in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered shares of AST SpaceMobile from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $98.00 to $54.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $80.67.

Trending Headlines about AST SpaceMobile

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

• Positive Sentiment: AST SpaceMobile said it will support a contractor on a U.S. Space Force project advancing space-based sensing technology. The award adds a government-program opportunity, though the announcement did not disclose its value. AST SpaceMobile awarded U.S. Space Force contract
• Positive Sentiment: Recent reports also highlighted Chile’s authorization for AST’s local unit to provide nationwide mobile satellite services under a 30-year concession, and a successful AT&T test of handoffs between cellular towers and satellites. Both developments support the company’s commercial rollout ambitions. Chile clears AST SpaceMobile for nationwide satellite service ASTS handoff test with AT&T
• Neutral Sentiment: ASTS faces a Q3 earnings test, with one report citing expectations for strong year-over-year revenue growth. Options-market activity points to expectations of a potentially large share move, but neither growth forecasts nor options positioning indicate whether results will beat expectations. AST SpaceMobile faces earnings test Options traders expect a large move in ASTS
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms publicized a filed securities class action involving investors who bought ASTS shares from March 4, 2025, through July 15, 2026. The complaint reportedly alleges misleading statements about the company’s competitive position, user adoption and capital position. The November 13 lead-plaintiff deadline and resulting legal and reputational uncertainty may weigh on sentiment. ASTS shareholder alert and lawsuit allegations
• Negative Sentiment: AST SpaceMobile also moved lower alongside other space stocks in a market report describing sector-wide weakness. That suggests broader risk aversion may be adding pressure beyond company-specific news. Space stocks fall amid broader sector pressure

AST SpaceMobile Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ASTS opened at $30.20 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $11.75 billion, a PE ratio of -14.11 and a beta of 2.88. The firm's fifty day moving average is $52.75 and its 200-day moving average is $76.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 12.90 and a current ratio of 13.05. AST SpaceMobile, Inc. has a 52 week low of $28.98 and a 52 week high of $133.86.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $31.52 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.41) EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AST SpaceMobile

In related news, Director Adriana Cisneros purchased 10,822 shares of AST SpaceMobile stock in a transaction on Monday, August 31st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $57.22 per share, for a total transaction of $619,234.84. Following the transaction, the director owned 797,023 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $45,605,656.06. This represents a 1.38% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Shanti Gupta sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.89, for a total value of $706,680.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 462,980 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $27,264,892.20. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 20.89% of the company's stock.

About AST SpaceMobile

AST SpaceMobile, Inc is a space-based communications company developing a global cellular broadband network designed to connect directly with standard, unmodified mobile phones. Its technology is intended to extend wireless coverage beyond traditional terrestrial networks, including in rural, remote and underserved areas.

The company is building and deploying a constellation of large low Earth orbit satellites, known as the BlueBird satellite system. AST SpaceMobile plans to provide voice, messaging, data and broadband services through partnerships with mobile network operators, allowing subscribers to remain connected outside the reach of conventional cellular towers.

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Midland, Texas, AST SpaceMobile was established by Abel Avellan, who serves as its chairman and chief executive officer.

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