AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Downgraded to Hold Rating by Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has $106.00 price target on the stock, down from their previous price target of $117.00.

ASTS has been the topic of a number of other research reports. New Street Research assumed coverage on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $80.00 price target on the stock. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $108.00 price target on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of AST SpaceMobile from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of AST SpaceMobile in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of AST SpaceMobile from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $81.33.

AST SpaceMobile Price Performance

AST SpaceMobile stock opened at $113.41 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $44.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -63.71 and a beta of 2.60. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $88.06 and its 200 day moving average is $85.25. The company has a quick ratio of 18.37, a current ratio of 18.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. AST SpaceMobile has a 52-week low of $22.47 and a 52-week high of $133.86.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 11th. The company reported ($0.66) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.23) by ($0.43). The business had revenue of $14.74 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $39.01 million. AST SpaceMobile had a negative net margin of 573.67% and a negative return on equity of 24.87%. AST SpaceMobile’s revenue for the quarter was up 1952.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($0.20) EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that AST SpaceMobile will post -1.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Andrew Martin Johnson sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.25, for a total value of $451,250.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 565,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $51,063,901.25. This represents a 0.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CTO Huiwen Yao sold 40,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.88, for a total transaction of $3,555,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 4,750 shares in the company, valued at approximately $422,180. The trade was a 89.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 3,100,000 shares of company stock worth $276,048,350. Insiders own 20.89% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its holdings in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 48.0% in the third quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 532,960 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,158,000 after purchasing an additional 172,759 shares during the last quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of AST SpaceMobile in the third quarter worth about $1,882,000. KPP Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of AST SpaceMobile in the fourth quarter worth about $1,649,000. M&T Bank Corp grew its holdings in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 1,062.9% in the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 77,994 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,665,000 after purchasing an additional 71,287 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 28.0% in the third quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 31,580 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,550,000 after purchasing an additional 6,901 shares during the last quarter. 60.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More AST SpaceMobile News

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

• Negative Sentiment: Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket explosion raised concerns that AST SpaceMobile’s launch schedule could be delayed, which is weighing on sentiment around its 2026 satellite deployment plans. Blue Origin Blast Sends AST SpaceMobile Down 18.5%
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank downgraded ASTS from Buy to Hold and trimmed its price target, signaling reduced near-term upside after the stock’s sharp run-up. Blue Origin Blast Sends AST SpaceMobile Down 18.5%
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports said the rocket failure could disrupt satellite launches and delay AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird rollout, adding execution risk to an already richly valued stock. AST SpaceMobile Shares Sink After Blue Origin Rocket Explosion
• Negative Sentiment: AST SpaceMobile was also hit by insider-selling news after President Scott Wisniewski sold about $3.3 million of stock, which can add to investor caution even if the sale was relatively small versus his remaining holdings. Insider Selling: AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) President Sells 25,904 Shares of Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Bullish commentary continues to emphasize ASTS’s direct-to-smartphone satellite technology, strong cash position, and carrier partnerships, but these longer-term positives are being overshadowed today by launch and valuation concerns. AST SpaceMobile’s Next Chapter Changes Everything

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.