AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) shares gapped up before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $92.06, but opened at $97.23. AST SpaceMobile shares last traded at $97.40, with a volume of 4,647,721 shares trading hands.

Trending Headlines about AST SpaceMobile

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

• Positive Sentiment: AST SpaceMobile confirmed its June 17 launch for BlueBird 8, 9, and 10 satellites, a key step toward expanding its space-based cellular broadband network and advancing its 2026 deployment goals. AST SpaceMobile Announces Launch Date for BlueBird Satellites 8, 9, and 10
• Positive Sentiment: Speculation around a future SpaceX IPO is drawing more attention to space-related stocks, which could keep ASTS in focus as a “space winner” if investor enthusiasm for the sector builds. The SpaceX IPO Is Closer Than You Think. These Are the Stocks That Win When It Happens.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary continues to frame AST SpaceMobile as a high-potential but still speculative connectivity play versus traditional carriers like Verizon, with valuation tied heavily to execution on launches and network expansion. VZ vs. ASTS: Which Connectivity Stock is the Better Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: The company has also been highlighted for its recent post-earnings share strength and the market’s focus on whether that momentum can continue after the latest results. AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) Up 21.6% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Continue?
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term pressure is coming from volatility warnings, analyst downgrades, and heavy insider selling, including a recent CTO share sale, which may make investors more cautious after the stock’s sharp pullback from its recent highs. AST SpaceMobile’s SpaceX Catalyst Could Come With a Volatility Warning

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on ASTS. B. Riley Financial boosted their price objective on shares of AST SpaceMobile from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of AST SpaceMobile from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $117.00 to $106.00 in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research report on Friday, March 27th. New Street Research set a $106.00 price objective on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of AST SpaceMobile from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. One equities 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 data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $81.33.

AST SpaceMobile Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 18.47, a quick ratio of 18.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $90.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $87.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -49.06 and a beta of 2.70.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) last announced 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 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 quarter last year, the company posted ($0.20) earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 1952.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.47 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AST SpaceMobile

In other AST SpaceMobile news, CTO Huiwen Yao sold 40,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.37, for a total value of $3,854,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 34,750 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,348,857.50. This represents a 53.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, major shareholder Hiroshi Mikitani sold 1,690,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.42, for a total transaction of $154,499,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 29,330,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,681,362,770.10. This trade represents a 5.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 3,140,000 shares of company stock valued at $279,903,150. Insiders own 20.89% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AST SpaceMobile

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Crewe Advisors LLC bought a new position in AST SpaceMobile during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in AST SpaceMobile during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in AST SpaceMobile by 16,350.0% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 329 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 327 shares during the last quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC bought a new position in AST SpaceMobile during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in AST SpaceMobile during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Institutional investors own 60.95% of the company’s stock.

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.