AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Shares Down 15.2% – Here’s Why

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS)’s share price traded down 15.2% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $79.89 and last traded at $82.22. 30,093,297 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 73% from the average session volume of 17,425,555 shares. The stock had previously closed at $96.92.

Key Headlines Impacting AST SpaceMobile

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

• Positive Sentiment: Successful BlueBird 6 deployment validates AST’s large-aperture Block‑2 satellite design and supports the company’s path to commercial service and contracted revenue—this removes a major technical risk and is a core long-term positive for revenue potential. BlueBird 6 Unfolds (BusinessWire)
• Positive Sentiment: Inclusion in the MSCI World/Global index increases the likelihood of passive fund buying into Feb. 27 rebalancing, offering a near-term demand tailwind for the stock. MSCI adds AST SpaceMobile (Investing.com)
• Neutral Sentiment: Company priced repurchases of about $300M of convertible senior notes — reducing some debt burden — but the mechanics and funding raise questions about net shareholder impact. Repurchases Priced (Seeking Alpha)
• Negative Sentiment: AST announced a proposed private offering of $1.0B in convertible senior notes due 2036 — investors view this as meaningful additional leverage and potential future dilution if converted. $1B Convertible Offering (BusinessWire)
• Negative Sentiment: Repurchase program will be funded in part by concurrent registered direct offerings of Class A common stock — a structure that can be dilutive and is a likely reason retail/institutional sellers reacted negatively. Repurchases Funded by Registered Direct Offerings (BusinessWire)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and analyst estimate cuts (2025/2026 EPS loss revisions) increase caution among investors about near-term profitability and valuation. Insider Selling (Yahoo Finance)
• Negative Sentiment: Media/retail chatter spiked around the fundraising plan, amplifying volatility and prompting some premarket selling pressure. Retail Chatter (MSN)

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on ASTS shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. B. Riley Financial cut AST SpaceMobile from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Scotiabank cut AST SpaceMobile from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector underperform” rating and set a $45.60 target price on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Zacks Research downgraded AST SpaceMobile from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Monday, December 29th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $45.66.

AST SpaceMobile Stock Down 15.2%

The company has a 50-day moving average of $91.19 and a two-hundred day moving average of $69.84. The company has a quick ratio of 9.48, a current ratio of 9.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The company has a market capitalization of $30.18 billion, a P/E ratio of -66.31 and a beta of 2.70.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) last announced its earnings results on Monday, November 10th. The company reported ($0.45) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.18) by ($0.27). AST SpaceMobile had a negative net margin of 1,639.59% and a negative return on equity of 27.76%. The business had revenue of $14.74 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.04 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted ($1.10) EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1236.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -0.4 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AST SpaceMobile

In related news, COO Shanti B. Gupta sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.34, for a total value of $773,400.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 382,375 shares in the company, valued at $29,572,882.50. This represents a 2.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Tower Corp /Ma/ American sold 2,288,621 shares of the business’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 completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 211,379 shares in the company, valued at $14,743,685.25. This trade represents a 91.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders purchased 2,765 shares of company stock worth $187,236 and sold 2,354,621 shares worth $164,348,075. 30.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AST SpaceMobile

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Calton & Associates Inc. lifted its position in AST SpaceMobile by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 13,579 shares of the company’s stock valued at $986,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Investmark Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Investmark Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,645 shares of the company’s stock valued at $337,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC increased its holdings in AST SpaceMobile by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 3,283 shares of the company’s stock worth $238,000 after buying an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp increased its holdings in AST SpaceMobile by 18.2% in the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 923 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,000 after buying an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in AST SpaceMobile by 39.0% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 513 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 60.95% of the company’s stock.

AST SpaceMobile Company Profile

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.