AST SpaceMobile Inc (NASDAQ:ASTS) shares are climbing Thursday morning as traders weigh fresh proxy disclosures that tie CEO pay to satellite-to-phone execution milestones. Here’s what investors need to know.
- AST SpaceMobile stock is showing exceptional strength. What’s behind ASTS gains?
CEO Abel Avellan's “All-or-Nothing” Pay
CEO Abel Avellan has opted out of a traditional paycheck since 2021, taking $0 in base salary for the 2025 fiscal year. Instead, his entire $14.2 million compensation package consists of company stock. This structure ensures that his personal fortune only grows if the SpaceMobile network successfully launches and performs.
This “pay-for-performance” strategy puts pressure on the company's technical goals, many of which were recently missed. The most significant setback was the failure to meet the “Number of satellites in orbit” goal by the end of February 2026. Because this milestone was marked “Not Achieved,” that specific portion of the executive payout was reduced to zero.
Mixed Results And Revenue Gaps
Other performance areas saw only partial success. A goal regarding satellite connectivity standards earned a 75% payout, meaning the technology is working but hasn’t yet met every internal requirement.
On the financial side, AST SpaceMobile reported $70.9 million in revenue, which narrowly missed its $75 million target and resulted in a 95% payout for that category.
Ultimately, these disclosures show that while the CEO is fully committed to the company’s success, the path to a full payday remains blocked by missed orbital deadlines.
ASTS Critical Levels To Watch
ASTS is sitting in the lower half of its 52-week range ($22.07 to $129.89), which fits a stock that's been in a correction phase after earlier strength. At $73.01, the stock is trading 14.9% below its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) and 17.8% below its 100-day SMA, a setup that leans toward sellers controlling the short-to-intermediate trend.
The moving average picture is mixed: the 20-day SMA is below the 50-day SMA (a bearish near-term alignment), but the golden cross from June 2025 (50-day SMA over the 200-day SMA) still reflects a longer-term uptrend that hasn't fully broken. The stock is also trading about 0.7% below its 200-day SMA, which signals the long-term trend is being tested right at a key line many investors watch.
The moving average convergence divergence (MACD), a trend/momentum measure, has the MACD line below the signal line with a negative histogram, which keeps downside momentum in control for now. In everyday terms, MACD being below its signal line usually means rallies are having trouble sticking.
- Key Resistance: $84.00 — an area where rebounds have recently stalled.
- Key Support: $72.00 — a level where buyers have tended to show up.
ASTS Stock Climbs Thursday
ASTS Stock Price Activity: AST SpaceMobile shares were up 4.45% at $72.94 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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