AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Shares Gap Down Following Analyst Downgrade

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS)’s stock price gapped down before the market opened on Friday after Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded the stock from a buy rating to a hold rating. The stock had previously closed at $133.09, but opened at $113.46. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft now has a $106.00 price target on the stock. AST SpaceMobile shares last traded at $109.7180, with a volume of 14,388,743 shares traded.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $108.00 target price on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Wall Street Zen cut AST SpaceMobile from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Friday, March 27th. New Street Research initiated coverage on AST SpaceMobile in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $80.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on AST SpaceMobile from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $78.08.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Julio A. Torres sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.34, for a total value of $1,145,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 43,239 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,300,865.26. This represents a 25.76% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CTO Huiwen Yao sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.88, for a total value of $3,555,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 4,750 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $422,180. The trade was a 89.39% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 3,100,000 shares of company stock valued at $276,048,350 in the last ninety days. 20.89% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting AST SpaceMobile

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

• Positive Sentiment: ASTS is benefiting from a broad rally in space infrastructure stocks as investors rotate into names tied to the next major growth cycle for the sector. ASTS, LUNR, RDW Stocks Hit 52-Week Highs Today: What’s Driving The Rally?
• Positive Sentiment: Investors remain focused on AST SpaceMobile’s upcoming launches and its long-term satellite deployment plan, which supports the bullish case that the company is moving closer to commercialization. AST SpaceMobile’s June Launch Plan Puts Its 2026 Satellite Goal Back in Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Some market commentary says ASTS is still attracting buyers because it offers direct-to-smartphone satellite exposure at a valuation many investors see as more attractive than the upcoming SpaceX IPO. AST SpaceMobile Over SpaceX Any Day
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also reported a recent insider sale by President Scott Wisniewski, which may add to investor attention but does not necessarily change the long-term story by itself. Insider Selling: AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) President Sells 25,904 Shares of Stock
• Negative Sentiment: ASTS is also facing overnight pressure tied to Blue Origin/New Glenn issues, with investors worrying about launch reliability and possible spillover risk for AST’s satellite rollout plans. ASTS Stock Slides Overnight: Blue Origin Explosion Raises Fresh Fears For 45-Satellite Rollout
• Negative Sentiment: Separate headlines also point to valuation risk and dilution concerns, which could limit upside if execution slows or capital needs increase. The SpaceX IPO Frenzy Is Creating 2 Very Different Bets (ASTS)

Institutional Trading of AST SpaceMobile

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its position in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 16,350.0% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 329 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 327 shares during the period. Crewe Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in AST SpaceMobile in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in AST SpaceMobile during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Portus Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in AST SpaceMobile during the first quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Advocate Investing Services LLC acquired a new position in AST SpaceMobile during the first quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.95% of the company’s stock.

AST SpaceMobile Trading Down 20.7%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 18.47 and a quick ratio of 18.37. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $87.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $85.05. The stock has a market cap of $40.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -59.67 and a beta of 2.60.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 11th. The company reported ($0.66) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.23) by ($0.43). AST SpaceMobile had a negative net margin of 573.67% and a negative return on equity of 24.87%. The business had revenue of $14.74 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.01 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned ($0.20) earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1952.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.