Insider Selling: AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) COO Sells $706,680.00 in Stock

Key Points

• AST SpaceMobile COO Shanti Gupta sold 12,000 shares at an average price of $58.89, totaling $706,680. The sale reduced his direct ownership by 2.53%, leaving him with 462,980 shares.
• ASTS shares rose 5.8% to $62.71, but the company’s latest quarterly results missed expectations, reporting a $0.77 loss per share versus the $0.32 consensus estimate and revenue of $31.52 million versus $34.53 million expected.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $86.58; institutional investors and hedge funds own about 60.95% of the stock.

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS - Get Free Report) COO Shanti Gupta sold 12,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.89, for a total value of $706,680.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 462,980 shares in the company, valued at $27,264,892.20. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

AST SpaceMobile Trading Up 5.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:ASTS traded up $3.44 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $62.71. The company had a trading volume of 9,189,513 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,814,629. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $63.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $79.24. The firm has a market cap of $24.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -29.30 and a beta of 2.74. AST SpaceMobile, Inc. has a 1-year low of $40.15 and a 1-year high of $133.86. 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 (NASDAQ:ASTS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported ($0.77) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.32) by ($0.45). AST SpaceMobile had a negative return on equity of 22.88% and a negative net margin of 536.66%.The company had revenue of $31.52 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.53 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.41) EPS. Research analysts predict that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AST SpaceMobile

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in AST SpaceMobile during the fourth quarter valued at $198,270,000. Focus Partners Wealth raised its stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 8,016.7% during the 4th quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 1,269,609 shares of the company's stock worth $92,000,000 after purchasing an additional 1,253,967 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 9,876.8% during the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 1,049,061 shares of the company's stock valued at $93,220,000 after buying an additional 1,038,546 shares during the last quarter. Tema ETFs LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 109,486.8% during the 2nd quarter. Tema ETFs LLC now owns 1,003,815 shares of the company's stock valued at $89,199,000 after buying an additional 1,002,899 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 140.3% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,644,246 shares of the company's stock valued at $136,259,000 after buying an additional 960,045 shares in the last quarter. 60.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ASTS has been the topic of several research analyst reports. B. Riley Financial upgraded shares of AST SpaceMobile from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $85.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on AST SpaceMobile from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. William Blair reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on AST SpaceMobile in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $86.58.

AST SpaceMobile News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: AST SpaceMobile’s patent strategy is receiving attention as it seeks to protect its large-array, direct-to-unmodified-smartphone approach while competing with SpaceX’s Starlink in satellite-to-cellular services. This reinforces the company’s potential competitive differentiation. AST SpaceMobile patent coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Retail investors continue to emphasize the company’s long-term opportunity despite uncertainty about the timing of the BlueBird 14–16 satellites. That support may be helping cushion sentiment while the market awaits shipment, arrival, and launch updates. ASTS retail sentiment and BlueBird coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts have a consensus “Hold” recommendation, indicating that the company’s growth potential is balanced by substantial execution, profitability, and valuation risks. AST SpaceMobile analyst recommendation
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms announced or promoted securities-fraud class actions against AST SpaceMobile and certain officers. The lawsuits generally allege that the company misrepresented its competitive position and user adoption in the United States and Japan; some filings also allege that executives overstated capital sufficiency while selling more than $18 million of stock. These are allegations, not established findings, but they create legal costs, reputational risk, and potential investor uncertainty. ASTS class action announcement ASTS shareholder alert
• Negative Sentiment: The lack of a confirmed shipment or launch schedule for BlueBird 14–16 is fueling concerns about execution and the timing of network expansion. AST SpaceMobile also remains unprofitable, increasing investor sensitivity to delays and financing-related risks. BlueBird satellite timing coverage

AST SpaceMobile Company Profile

AST SpaceMobile, Inc develops a space-based cellular broadband network designed to connect standard, unmodified mobile phones directly to satellites. Its planned service is intended to extend mobile connectivity beyond the coverage of traditional terrestrial wireless networks, including in rural, remote and underserved areas.

The company's primary technology platform consists of large, low-Earth-orbit satellites known as BlueBirds. AST SpaceMobile is developing these satellites to provide voice, messaging and broadband data services through partnerships with mobile network operators, using existing cellular devices and spectrum where permitted.

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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