AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Shares Gap Down – What’s Next?

Shares of AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $96.92, but opened at $87.90. AST SpaceMobile shares last traded at $83.8040, with a volume of 9,657,403 shares traded.

AST SpaceMobile News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Successful BlueBird 6 deployment validates the tech and unlocks commercial revenue potential; the satellite’s large array and claimed up-to-120 Mbps capability make carrier contracts more actionable, supporting the long‑term growth thesis. BlueBird 6 Unfolds: AST SpaceMobile Unlocks Commercial Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Next‑gen satellite roadmap: BlueBird 6’s capabilities and company targets (up to 60 satellites by 2026 and Block‑2 performance) strengthen the operational case for future service rollouts and revenue scaling. Can AST SpaceMobile’s Next-Generation Satellites Drive Future Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Index inclusion tailwind: MSCI addition increases the pool of passive demand ahead of the Feb. 27 implementation date, which can support the share price as index‑tracking funds rebalance. MSCI adds Starlink rival AST SpaceMobile to global stock index
• Neutral Sentiment: Repurchase program announced: ASTS plans to repurchase up to $300M of existing convertible notes (reduces some debt/overhang) but will fund those repurchases with concurrent registered direct offerings of Class A stock — a mixed move that trims note exposure while creating potential dilution and execution risk. AST SpaceMobile Announces Proposed Repurchases of up to $300.0 Million Convertible Senior Notes to be Funded By Concurrent Registered Direct Offerings of Class A Common Stock
• Negative Sentiment: New $1.0B convertible-note offering due 2036: the private convertible raise increases potential future dilution and creates near‑term overhang that investors often view negatively, contributing to the stock’s pullback. AST SpaceMobile Announces Proposed Private Offering of $1.0 Billion of Convertible Senior Notes Due 2036
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and retail volatility: insiders have sold shares recently and retail chatter spiked premarket, which can amplify downside moves and raise investor caution on timing and sentiment. AST SpaceMobile Insiders Selling US$9.7m In Stock Relieved As Market Cap Slides To US$38b ASTS stock tumbles premarket, retail chatter more than triples – what is driving the moves?
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst estimate downgrades and margin of execution risk: recent downward EPS estimate revisions for 2025–26 signal growing caution on near‑term profitability and execution, which can amplify selling when combined with financing news. Should You Avoid ASTS Stock Amid Declining Estimate Revisions?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ASTS has been the topic of several research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research report on Monday, December 29th. B. Riley Financial downgraded AST SpaceMobile from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Barclays cut AST SpaceMobile from an “overweight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $60.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Scotiabank downgraded shares of AST SpaceMobile from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector underperform” rating and set a $45.60 price target on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $45.66.

AST SpaceMobile Stock Down 16.4%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 9.56 and a quick ratio of 9.48. The company has a market cap of $29.75 billion, a P/E ratio of -65.38 and a beta of 2.70. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $91.19 and a 200 day moving average of $69.84.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 10th. The company reported ($0.45) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.18) by ($0.27). The firm had revenue of $14.74 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.04 million. AST SpaceMobile had a negative return on equity of 27.76% and a negative net margin of 1,639.59%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1236.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($1.10) EPS. Research analysts anticipate that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -0.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at AST SpaceMobile

In other news, Director Keith R. Larson acquired 625 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 24th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $80.00 per share, for a total transaction of $50,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 2,015 shares in the company, valued at approximately $161,200. This trade represents a 44.96% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Tower Corp /Ma/ American sold 2,288,621 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.75, for a total value of $159,631,314.75. Following the sale, the insider owned 211,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,743,685.25. The trade was a 91.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 2,765 shares of company stock worth $187,236 and have sold 2,354,621 shares worth $164,348,075. Insiders own 30.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AST SpaceMobile

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ASTS. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in AST SpaceMobile by 7.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 21,488,180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,560,687,000 after buying an additional 1,568,292 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 9.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,522,549 shares of the company’s stock valued at $328,749,000 after purchasing an additional 402,505 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $198,270,000. Clear Street Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $90,129,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its position in AST SpaceMobile by 18.1% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,104,013 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,185,000 after purchasing an additional 168,832 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.95% of the company’s stock.

About AST SpaceMobile

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.