PLDT (NYSE:PHI) vs. AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Financial Survey

PLDT (NYSE:PHI) and AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) are both communication services companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, profitability, dividends, valuation, earnings, risk and analyst recommendations.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares PLDT and AST SpaceMobile”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
PLDT	$3.80 billion	1.02	$498.72 million	$2.22	8.09
AST SpaceMobile	$70.92 million	347.49	-$341.94 million	($2.14)	-29.59

PLDT has higher revenue and earnings than AST SpaceMobile. AST SpaceMobile is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than PLDT, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

2.3% of PLDT shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 61.0% of AST SpaceMobile shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.7% of PLDT shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 20.9% of AST SpaceMobile shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for PLDT and AST SpaceMobile, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
PLDT	0	4	0	0	2.00
AST SpaceMobile	2	5	6	0	2.31

AST SpaceMobile has a consensus price target of $86.58, suggesting a potential upside of 36.73%. Given AST SpaceMobile’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe AST SpaceMobile is more favorable than PLDT.

Risk & Volatility

PLDT has a beta of 0.56, suggesting that its share price is 44% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, AST SpaceMobile has a beta of 2.74, suggesting that its share price is 174% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares PLDT and AST SpaceMobile’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
PLDT	12.81%	26.76%	5.36%
AST SpaceMobile	-536.66%	-22.88%	-10.67%

About PLDT

PLDT Inc. provides telecommunications and digital services in the Philippines. The company operates through three segments: Wireless, Fixed Line, and Others. It offers cellular mobile, Internet broadband distribution, operations support, software development, and satellite information and messaging services; and sells Wi-Fi access equipment. The company also provides fixed line telecommunications services; business infrastructure and solutions; intelligent data processing and implementation, and data analytics insight generation services; and information and communications infrastructure for Internet-based services, e-commerce, customer relationship management, and information technology (IT) related services. In addition, it offers managed IT outsourcing, Internet-based purchasing, IT consulting and professional, and bills printing and other related value-added services; distributes Filipino channels and content services; and provides full-services customer rewards and loyalty programs. Further, the company engages in the sale of mobile handsets, broadband data routers, tablets, and accessories; and cross-border digital platforms. Additionally, it provides gaming support services; mobile internet and broadband, and data services; content provider and develops mobile application; IT solution; data and network; domestic leased lines; alternative messaging solutions, such as over-the-top services, social media, and messenger application; inbound roaming and other services; mobile prepaid and postpaid services; and fixed wireless broadband services. The company was formerly known as Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company and changed its name to PLDT Inc. in July 2016. PLDT Inc. was incorporated in 1928 and is headquartered in Makati City, the Philippines.

About AST SpaceMobile

AST SpaceMobile, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops and provides access to a space-based cellular broadband network for smartphones in the United States. Its SpaceMobile service provides cellular broadband services to end-users who are out of terrestrial cellular coverage. The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Midland, Texas.