Key takeaways
- ASTS shares rose nearly 11% Thursday after the company announced three additional BlueBird satellites scheduled to launch in August via SpaceX Falcon 9.
- AST’s updated deployment schedule schedules launches every two months, allowing for up to 18 satellite deployments per year.
- Twenty-four BlueBirds 14-37 satellites are currently in production and are expected to be deployed in orbit by late 2027.
- Institutional ownership is about 61% of outstanding shares; Company insiders have liquidated more than $280 million worth of stock in the last 90 days.
- Wall Street consensus is leaning toward “downside” with an average price target of $85.09; Shares opened trading Monday at $71.57.
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) shares rose nearly 11% during Thursday’s session, closing at $71.58. Although no immediate news sparked the rally that day, momentum came after the company’s recent announcement of an accelerated satellite deployment strategy captured investors’ attention.
Earlier in the week, the company revealed that its trio of upcoming BlueBird satellites — modules 11, 12 and 13 — are scheduled to launch in August using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle. This announcement follows the successful deployment of BlueBirds 8, 9 and 10 on June 17.
The staggered launch schedule establishes a cadence of approximately one deployment every eight weeks, potentially enabling an annual deployment rate of 18 satellites.
Ast It is currently manufacturing an additional 24 satellites — BlueBirds 14 to 37. Maintaining the current schedule, the company expects these modules to reach orbit before the end of 2027, coinciding with the planned start of direct-to-cell (DTC) network trial operations.
The European market also enters the picture. Data linked to the Vodafone-backed rollout has identified Spain as a potential early commercial area, with the service potentially starting in 2027 – reinforcing the company’s international monetization narrative.
Wall Street Opinion: Valuations and Target Prices
Despite investor optimism reflected in recent price action, analyst sentiment remains tepid. The consensus rating for ASTS is currently recorded as ‘Reduce’, with analysts expecting an average fair value of $85.09.
Deutsche Bank recently downgraded the stock from buy to hold while cutting its price target from $117 to $106. B. Riley moved to “Neutral” with a valuation of $85. Among the more optimistic voices, Roth MKM maintains a “buy” recommendation along with a price target of $108.
Of the 10 analysts offering coverage, only one rates the stock a Buy. Six recommend holding. Three advise selling.
Technically, the stock’s 50-day moving average is at $87.18, while its 200-day moving average is at $89.23 – both well above current price levels.
Heavy filtering on the inside draws attention
A notable development that investors cannot ignore: significant insider selling activity.
Over the past three months, company insiders have offloaded more than 3.1 million shares worth approximately $280.6 million. This includes CFO Andrew Martin Johnson, who offloaded 45,809 shares at an average price of $93.81 on June 11, reducing his holdings by 8.34%.
Director Julio A. Torres separately sold 15,000 shares at $76.34 during May, reducing his position by approximately 26%.
Insiders currently control 20.89% of outstanding shares, while institutional investors own 60.95%.
SG Americas Securities LLC expanded its position in ASTS by 18.6% during the first quarter, purchasing an additional 11,813 shares for a total ownership of 75,157.
In terms of financial performance, AST’s first quarter results were disappointing. The company reported an EPS loss of -$0.66, much worse than the consensus estimate of -$0.23. Total revenue was $14.73 million, below analysts’ expectations of $39.01 million.
Full-year EPS is expected to be -$1.47. The stock has traded within a 52-week range of $36.08 to $133.86.
