It was a rough Monday morning for shareholders of AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (ASTS). The stock sank more than 14% in premarket trading after the company delivered some bad news from orbit: its latest satellite didn't make it to the right neighborhood.
The company said its BlueBird 7 satellite, which hitched a ride on the New Glenn 3 mission, ended up in a lower-than-planned orbit. While the satellite did separate from the rocket and power on, the altitude is apparently too low for it to do its job long-term. So, it's headed for a controlled de-orbit. The silver lining? AST SpaceMobile says it expects to get the satellite's cost back through insurance.
This particular bird, BlueBird 7, would have been the company's eighth satellite in low Earth orbit. But the show must go on. Production is humming along through BlueBird 32, and the next batch—BlueBird 8 through 10—are expected to ship in about a month. Crucially, the company isn't hitting the panic button on its launch schedule. It's sticking to its plan for 2026: one mission every one to two months, with the goal of having about 45 satellites circling the planet by year-end.
What the Charts Are Saying
If you look at the stock's recent performance through a technical lens, the picture isn't pretty in the short term. The stock is trading well below its 20-day, 50-day, and 100-day simple moving averages, which suggests a bearish trend. It is, however, hanging just above its 200-day average, which might offer some psychological support for longer-term holders.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is sitting at a neutral 45.86, which means the stock isn't considered overbought or oversold—it's just kind of... there. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator is below its signal line, pointing to bearish momentum, and the negative histogram shows a lack of buying pressure.
For traders watching key levels, $84.00 is seen as a resistance point where selling might pick up, while $72.00 is viewed as a critical support level that could attract buyers.
Earnings and What the Analysts Think
The company is scheduled to provide its next financial update around May 11, 2026. The current estimate is for earnings of 21 cents per share and revenue of $37.24 million.
The analyst consensus on the street is a Hold, with an average price target of $75.52. Recent moves have been a mixed bag: Barclays raised its target to $65.00 but kept an Underweight rating in early April, UBS raised its target to $85.00 with a Neutral rating in March, and B. Riley Securities lowered its target to $95.00 but also maintained a Neutral rating back in February.
ETF Exposure: Why Fund Flows Matter
AST SpaceMobile isn't just a stock some people own; it's a meaningful holding in a few exchange-traded funds. This means when money moves in or out of these ETFs, it can force automatic buying or selling of ASTS shares.
The stock has a 4.08% weight in the First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF (MISL), a 5.36% weight in the Procure Space ETF (UFO), and a 3.11% weight in the First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF (FPX).
AST SpaceMobile shares were down 14.07% at $73.50 during premarket trading on Monday.
