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

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) shares were down 6.7% during 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 changed hands during 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 AST SpaceMobile stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.89, for a total value of $706,680.00. Following the transaction, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CTO Huiwen Yao sold 40,000 shares of the business’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 completion of the sale, the chief technology officer owned 34,750 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,047,817.50. The trade was a 53.51% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. UBS Group started coverage on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. They set a “buy” rating for the company. William Blair reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research report on Friday, May 29th. New Street Research set a $106.00 target price on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a report on Friday, May 29th. Piper Sandler cut their price target on 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, Scotiabank raised AST SpaceMobile from a “sector underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and set a $50.80 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AST SpaceMobile currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $86.58.

Key Headlines Impacting AST SpaceMobile

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 Stock Down 6.7%

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 $22.77 billion, a P/E ratio of -27.35 and a beta of 2.74. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $63.32 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $79.12.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) last issued 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.53 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.41) EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 21.0% during the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 5,309 shares of the company’s stock valued at $472,000 after buying an additional 920 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its position in AST SpaceMobile by 9,876.8% during the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 1,049,061 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,220,000 after purchasing an additional 1,038,546 shares during the last quarter. IPG Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 15.9% in the 2nd quarter. IPG Investment Advisors LLC now owns 8,660 shares of the company’s stock worth $770,000 after buying an additional 1,185 shares in the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 365.1% in the 2nd quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 1,372 shares of the company’s stock worth $122,000 after buying an additional 1,077 shares in the last quarter. Finally, National Pension Service increased its holdings in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 90.8% in the 2nd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 24,235 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,154,000 after buying an additional 11,536 shares during the last quarter. 60.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About AST SpaceMobile

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.