AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Stock Price Down 6.7% on Insider Selling

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) shares fell 6.7% during mid-day trading on Friday following insider selling activity. The company traded as low as $57.83 and last traded at $58.52. Approximately 19,646,177 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 17% from the average session volume of 16,827,453 shares. The stock had previously closed at $62.71.

Specifically, COO Shanti Gupta sold 12,000 shares of the business’s 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 directly owned 462,980 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,264,892.20. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CTO Huiwen Yao sold 40,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.93, for a total value of $2,357,200.00. Following the sale, 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 ownership of the stock. 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.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on ASTS. New Street Research set a $106.00 price target on AST SpaceMobile in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on AST SpaceMobile from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Berenberg Bank initiated coverage on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $92.00 price objective for the company. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on shares of AST SpaceMobile from $100.00 to $98.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $93.00 price objective on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $86.58.

More AST SpaceMobile News

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

• Positive Sentiment: AST SpaceMobile’s large satellite antenna technology and patent portfolio continue to be viewed as potential competitive advantages in the direct-to-smartphone market, particularly against Starlink. AST SpaceMobile Expands Patent Shield
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains mixed. The consensus rating is “Hold,” although several firms maintain Buy or Overweight ratings and a consensus price target above the current trading level, reflecting long-term potential balanced against execution and profitability risks. AST SpaceMobile Receives Hold Recommendation
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms publicized a securities-fraud class action against AST SpaceMobile and certain executives. The complaint alleges misleading statements about the company’s capital needs, competitive position and customer adoption in the U.S. and Japan; the allegations have not been proven. Investors have until November 13, 2026, to seek lead-plaintiff status. AST SpaceMobile Securities Fraud Class Action
• Negative Sentiment: COO Shanti Gupta sold 12,000 shares worth approximately $707,000, while CTO Huiwen Yao sold 40,000 shares valued at about $2.36 million. Yao’s sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, but the transactions may still weigh on investor sentiment.
• Negative Sentiment: AST SpaceMobile has not announced shipment, arrival or launch timing for BlueBirds 14–16. Continued uncertainty around these satellites could raise execution concerns because constellation deployment is central to the company’s growth strategy. ASTS BlueBird Launch Timing
• Negative Sentiment: ASTS was also pressured by a broader pullback in space-sector stocks, with investors taking profits after recent gains. The company’s high valuation, continuing losses and prior earnings miss leave the stock particularly sensitive to execution concerns. Space Stocks Give Back Gains

AST SpaceMobile Trading Down 6.7%

The firm has a market cap of $22.77 billion, a PE ratio of -27.35 and a beta of 2.74. 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 stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $63.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $79.12.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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). AST SpaceMobile had a negative net margin of 536.66% and a negative return on equity of 22.88%. The firm had revenue of $31.52 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.53 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.41) EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in 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 during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $198,270,000. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 140.3% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,644,246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $136,259,000 after purchasing an additional 960,045 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 14.3% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,316,852 shares of the company’s stock valued at $109,128,000 after purchasing an additional 164,303 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth lifted its position in AST SpaceMobile by 8,016.7% during the fourth quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 1,269,609 shares of the company’s stock worth $92,000,000 after buying an additional 1,253,967 shares in the last quarter. 60.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AST SpaceMobile Company 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.