California State Teachers Retirement System Increases Stock Holdings in AST SpaceMobile, Inc. $ASTS

California State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) by 11,947.9% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 31,526,551 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 31,264,875 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System owned approximately 0.08% of AST SpaceMobile worth $2,801,449,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Compass Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in AST SpaceMobile in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 16,350.0% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 329 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 327 shares during the period. Grove Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of AST SpaceMobile during the second quarter worth $27,000. Continuum Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of AST SpaceMobile during the second quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of AST SpaceMobile in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. 60.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting AST SpaceMobile

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

• Positive Sentiment: AST SpaceMobile’s second-quarter revenue rose to approximately $31.5 million from $1.2 million a year earlier. The company also has a contracted revenue backlog of roughly $1.3 billion across commercial and U.S. government customers, supporting the possibility of substantial revenue growth through 2028. Prediction: AST SpaceMobile Triples Its Revenue Again by 2028
• Positive Sentiment: A new Trump administration space task force is targeting 10,000 annual space operations by 2035 through faster approvals, additional spaceports, designated launch corridors and improved airspace integration. These measures could reduce regulatory and infrastructure bottlenecks for the satellite industry, although the benefits for ASTS may take time to materialize. New Trump Task Force Targets 10,000 Annual Space Operations By 2035
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short interest was listed at zero shares as of September 10, implying no measurable short-selling pressure. However, the reported “increase” and percentage change are mathematically undefined, suggesting the data may be incomplete or unreliable.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment toward ASTS remains divided, indicating uncertainty over the company’s valuation, deployment schedule and path to profitability. Analysts Have Conflicting Sentiments on These Technology Companies
• Negative Sentiment: The latest earnings report missed analyst expectations: ASTS posted a quarterly loss of $0.77 per share versus the $0.32 consensus loss, while revenue of $31.52 million was below the $34.53 million estimate. Follow-up coverage highlights a 7.7% post-earnings decline and continuing investor caution.
• Negative Sentiment: ASTS has fallen 24.4% over six months amid concerns about satellite deployment, regulatory approvals and future capital needs, despite strong liquidity and industry partnerships. ASTS Stock Declines 24.4% in Six Months: Time to be Cautious?

AST SpaceMobile Trading Down 4.0%

Shares of NASDAQ ASTS opened at $59.91 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 12.90, a current ratio of 13.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $65.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $79.94. AST SpaceMobile, Inc. has a 52-week low of $37.18 and a 52-week high of $133.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.32 billion, a P/E ratio of -28.00 and a beta of 2.74.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported ($0.77) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.32) by ($0.45). The firm had revenue of $31.52 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 in the previous year, the business posted ($0.41) EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AST SpaceMobile news, Director Adriana Cisneros acquired 10,822 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 31st. The stock was 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 directly owned 797,023 shares in the company, valued at $45,605,656.06. This trade represents a 1.38% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 20.89% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on ASTS. William Blair reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Friday, May 29th. B. Riley Financial upgraded shares of AST SpaceMobile from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $85.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, July 17th. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on shares of AST SpaceMobile from $100.00 to $98.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. UBS Group initiated coverage on AST SpaceMobile in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Scotiabank raised AST SpaceMobile from a “sector underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and set a $50.80 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, AST SpaceMobile currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $86.58.

AST SpaceMobile Profile

AST SpaceMobile, Inc develops a space-based cellular broadband network designed to connect standard, unmodified mobile phones directly to satellites. Its planned service is intended to extend mobile connectivity beyond the coverage of traditional terrestrial wireless networks, including in rural, remote and underserved areas.

The company’s primary technology platform consists of large, low-Earth-orbit satellites known as BlueBirds. AST SpaceMobile is developing these satellites to provide voice, messaging and broadband data services through partnerships with mobile network operators, using existing cellular devices and spectrum where permitted.

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Midland, Texas, AST SpaceMobile was established by Abel Avellan, who serves as its chairman and chief executive officer.