AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Shares Climb 5.5% – Time to Buy?

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

AST SpaceMobile News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: AST SpaceMobile is advocating for satellite-to-phone access to two mobile spectrum bands ahead of the World Radiocommunication Conference. Vodafone has also questioned aspects of SpaceX’s planned European direct-to-cell expansion, potentially supporting ASTS’s competitive position. Vodafone Questions SpaceX’s Europe Push, AST Presses FCC on Spectrum
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators remain constructive, arguing AST SpaceMobile could retain a timing advantage over SpaceX in direct-to-cell services and that the company’s BlueBird satellite network could support its long-term revenue opportunity if deployment milestones are achieved. Clear Street Sees Six-Month Lead Over SpaceX
• Neutral Sentiment: ASTS remains a highly speculative stock: shares are near their 52-week low and well below longer-term moving averages, while the company continues to report substantial losses and negative earnings. The investment case depends heavily on satellite launches, network buildout, and future commercial revenue.
• Negative Sentiment: Piper Sandler downgraded AST SpaceMobile to Neutral and reportedly lowered its price target to $54, citing growing competition from SpaceX’s direct-to-cell plans. The downgrade reinforces concerns that SpaceX could pressure ASTS’s market opportunity and valuation. Piper Sandler Downgrades AST SpaceMobile to Neutral
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst Tim Farrar said AST SpaceMobile may not reach the 60-satellite milestone until 2028, based on the remaining launch schedule. Any delay could push back service availability and management’s revenue targets. Analyst Says 60-Satellite Milestone Could Slip to 2028
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms publicized a securities class action covering investors who bought ASTS securities from March 4, 2025, through July 15, 2026. The allegations concern statements that existing cash would be sufficient for 12 months despite approximately $3 billion of convertible-note offerings and related dilution. The claims have not been proven, but the litigation adds legal, financing, and reputational risk; investors have until November 13, 2026, to seek lead-plaintiff status. ASTS Securities Class Action Deadline

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised AST SpaceMobile from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $93.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on shares of AST SpaceMobile from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Berenberg Bank started coverage on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $92.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AST SpaceMobile currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $80.18.

AST SpaceMobile Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 13.05 and a quick ratio of 12.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.30 billion, a P/E ratio of -20.78 and a beta of 2.72. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $61.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $74.67.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported ($0.77) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.32) by ($0.45). The company had revenue of $31.52 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.53 million. AST SpaceMobile had a negative return on equity of 22.88% and a negative net margin of 536.66%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned ($0.41) EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at AST SpaceMobile

In other news, CTO Huiwen Yao sold 40,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.93, for a total transaction of $2,357,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 34,750 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,047,817.50. This represents a 53.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Adriana Cisneros acquired 10,822 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 31st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $57.22 per share, with a total value of $619,234.84. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 797,023 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $45,605,656.06. This represents a 1.38% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 20.89% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AST SpaceMobile

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC grew its position in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 6.6% in the 1st quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 2,638 shares of the company’s stock valued at $219,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares during the period. Hollencrest Capital Management lifted its stake in AST SpaceMobile by 11.7% in the 1st quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 1,592 shares of the company’s stock valued at $132,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in AST SpaceMobile by 17.0% in the 3rd quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC now owns 1,170 shares of the company’s stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its holdings in AST SpaceMobile by 15.5% during the second quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 1,404 shares of the company’s stock worth $121,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares during the period. Finally, HHM Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in AST SpaceMobile by 72.2% during the first quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 465 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 195 shares during the period. 60.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About AST SpaceMobile

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.