AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Stock Jumps 5.5% – Here’s What Happened

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS)’s share price shot up 5.5% during trading on Thursday. The stock traded as high as $44.94 and last traded at $44.46. 23,026,830 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 37% from the average daily volume of 16,809,533 shares. The stock had previously closed at $42.14.

More AST SpaceMobile News

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

• Positive Sentiment: AST SpaceMobile and TELUS completed an integration test connecting TELUS’ terrestrial network with AST’s satellite system. The test supports the company’s plan to provide direct-to-smartphone connectivity in remote and underserved areas of Canada, although commercial execution remains ahead. Launch Delays Could Change The Case For AST SpaceMobile Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Some options-market commentary points to a potentially attractive bullish trade after the selloff. This may encourage speculative buying, but it does not change the company’s underlying execution and financing risks. Why There Might Be a Mathematical Incentive to Bet on AST SpaceMobile Stock’s 227% Options Spread
• Negative Sentiment: SpaceX’s expanding Starlink spectrum access and satellite deployment capabilities are intensifying competition. Investors are increasingly concerned that SpaceX could limit AST’s access to spectrum, customers or launch capacity, weakening AST’s long-term growth case. AST SpaceMobile Is Down 67%—Could SpaceX’s Mobile Push Deepen the Selloff?
• Negative Sentiment: Piper Sandler downgraded AST SpaceMobile from Overweight to Neutral. Separately, analyst Tim Farrar warned that AST may not reach a 60-satellite constellation until 2028, raising concerns about launch availability, service timing and the company’s revenue outlook. ASTS Stock Heads For Worst Year Since Listing
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms publicized a securities class action covering investors who bought ASTS securities from March 4, 2025, through July 15, 2026. Allegations include misleading disclosures about liquidity and capital needs after the company issued approximately $3 billion of convertible notes. The lead-plaintiff deadline is November 13, 2026. AST SpaceMobile Class Action Announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned about repeated earnings misses and launch delays. AST SpaceMobile’s latest reported quarter missed both EPS and revenue expectations, reinforcing worries that substantial spending and financing needs may continue before the satellite network generates meaningful revenue.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ASTS has been the subject of several research reports. UBS Group started coverage on AST SpaceMobile in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on AST SpaceMobile from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. B. Riley Financial lowered AST SpaceMobile from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $85.00 to $65.00 in a report on Friday, October 2nd. William Blair reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded AST SpaceMobile from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $93.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $80.18.

AST SpaceMobile Stock Down 8.5%

The company has a current ratio of 13.05, a quick ratio of 12.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The firm has a market cap of $15.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -19.00 and a beta of 2.72. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $60.60 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $74.19.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported ($0.77) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.32) by ($0.45). AST SpaceMobile had a negative net margin of 536.66% and a negative return on equity of 22.88%. The business had revenue of $31.52 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.53 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.41) EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.92 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, COO Shanti B. Gupta sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.89, for a total transaction of $706,680.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 462,980 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,264,892.20. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CTO Huiwen Yao sold 40,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.93, for a total value of $2,357,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 34,750 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,047,817.50. This trade represents a 53.51% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 20.89% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of AST SpaceMobile

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Tidal Investments LLC increased its position in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 9,876.8% in the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 1,049,061 shares of the company’s stock worth $93,220,000 after purchasing an additional 1,038,546 shares during the period. Tema ETFs LLC lifted its position in AST SpaceMobile by 109,486.8% during the second quarter. Tema ETFs LLC now owns 1,003,815 shares of the company’s stock worth $89,199,000 after purchasing an additional 1,002,899 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in AST SpaceMobile by 140.3% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,644,246 shares of the company’s stock worth $136,259,000 after purchasing an additional 960,045 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in AST SpaceMobile during the second quarter worth about $67,907,000. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. acquired a new stake in AST SpaceMobile during the first quarter worth about $34,627,000. 60.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AST SpaceMobile Company Profile

AST SpaceMobile, Inc develops a space-based cellular broadband network designed to connect standard mobile phones directly to satellites without requiring specialized satellite phones or equipment. The company’s objective is to extend mobile connectivity to areas that lack reliable terrestrial cellular coverage, including remote and underserved regions.

Its system is built around the planned SpaceMobile satellite constellation, including BlueBird satellites equipped with large communications arrays.