AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) Shares Gap Up on Analyst Upgrade

Posted by Geri Gentry on Oct 14th, 2026

Shares of AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS – Get Free Report) gapped up before the market opened on Monday after Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded the stock from a hold rating to a buy rating. The stock had previously closed at $50.97, but opened at $53.26. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft now has a $93.00 price target on the stock. AST SpaceMobile shares last traded at $53.1950, with a volume of 6,535,171 shares traded.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on shares of AST SpaceMobile from $100.00 to $98.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. UBS Group assumed coverage on AST SpaceMobile in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. They set a “buy” rating for the company. B. Riley Financial downgraded AST SpaceMobile from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $85.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Berenberg Bank initiated coverage on AST SpaceMobile in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $92.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Scotiabank upgraded AST SpaceMobile from a “sector underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and set a $50.80 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $80.18.

Get Our Latest Report on AST SpaceMobile

Insider Buying and Selling at AST SpaceMobile

In other news, COO Shanti B. Gupta sold 12,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 462,980 shares in the company, valued at $27,264,892.20. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CTO Huiwen Yao sold 40,000 shares of AST SpaceMobile stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.93, for a total value of $2,357,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 34,750 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,047,817.50. This trade represents a 53.51% decrease in their position. 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. 20.89% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting AST SpaceMobile

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

Positive Sentiment: Clear Street reportedly believes AST SpaceMobile retains approximately a six-month lead over SpaceX in direct-to-device satellite connectivity, providing some support for the company’s competitive outlook. ASTS Stock Hits Fresh 52-Week Low, But Clear Street Sees Six-Month Lead Over SpaceX
Positive Sentiment: Recent catalysts include the arrival of three additional BlueBird satellites at Cape Canaveral and a temporary FCC authorization for testing in the 902–928 MHz band, developments that could advance AST’s network deployment and regulatory efforts. AST SpaceMobile Rallies as BlueBird Satellites Reach Cape Canaveral
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views are divided. Deutsche Bank recently upgraded ASTS to Buy with a $93 price target, arguing that SpaceX’s spectrum activity could make AST more attractive to wireless carriers, while Clear Street also sees a near-term execution advantage. AST SpaceMobile Upgraded to Buy at Deutsche Bank
Negative Sentiment: Piper Sandler downgraded AST SpaceMobile to Neutral and cut its price target by 45%, citing the growing threat from SpaceX’s direct-to-cell ambitions. Analysts also warned that launch challenges could delay AST’s commercial rollout. AST SpaceMobile Downgraded by Piper Sandler on SpaceX Rivalry
Negative Sentiment: Several law firms announced or promoted a securities-fraud class action covering investors who purchased ASTS securities from March 4, 2025, through July 15, 2026. The complaints allege misleading disclosures about capital adequacy, dilution, and the durability of AST’s competitive lead; the allegations have not been proven. Pomerantz Announces Class Action Against AST SpaceMobile

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AST SpaceMobile

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bank of America Corp DE raised 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 buying an additional 960,045 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of AST SpaceMobile by 14.3% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,316,852 shares of the company’s stock valued at $109,128,000 after buying an additional 164,303 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 1,038,546 shares during the period. Tema ETFs LLC boosted its position in AST SpaceMobile by 109,486.8% during the second quarter. Tema ETFs LLC now owns 1,003,815 shares of the company’s stock worth $89,199,000 after acquiring an additional 1,002,899 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in AST SpaceMobile by 21.5% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 837,559 shares of the company’s stock worth $69,409,000 after acquiring an additional 148,464 shares during the last quarter. 60.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AST SpaceMobile Stock Performance

The stock’s 50-day moving average is $62.21 and its 200-day moving average is $74.99. 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 has a market cap of $18.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -21.99 and a beta of 2.72.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported ($0.77) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.32) by ($0.45). AST SpaceMobile had a negative return on equity of 22.88% and a negative net margin of 536.66%. The business had revenue of $31.52 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.53 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($0.41) EPS. Analysts anticipate that AST SpaceMobile, Inc. will post -1.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AST SpaceMobile Company Profile

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AST SpaceMobile, Inc develops a space-based cellular broadband network designed to connect standard mobile phones directly to satellites without requiring specialized satellite phones or equipment. The company’s objective is to extend mobile connectivity to areas that lack reliable terrestrial cellular coverage, including remote and underserved regions.

Its system is built around the planned SpaceMobile satellite constellation, including BlueBird satellites equipped with large communications arrays.