AST SpaceMobile Inc (NASDAQ:ASTS) is trading lower Thursday morning as traders digest a key overhang clearing tied to a large shareholder's pre-planned selling. Here’s what investors need to know.
- AST SpaceMobile shares are pulling back. Why are ASTS shares falling?
Rakuten Mobile Trims AST SpaceMobile Stake
Rakuten Mobile disclosed in an SEC filing that it completed its pre-planned sale of roughly 4.5 million AST SpaceMobile shares between Apr. 27 and May 5, with sale prices ranging from $65.32 to $76.30. Rakuten still holds a 5.3% stake, or about 15.5 million shares, after total proceeds of about $392.3 million.
AST SpaceMobile's tape has also stayed sensitive to rollout timing after proxy disclosures tied $14,222,500 of 2025 compensation to execution targets, including a "satellites in orbit" goal due by end of February 2026 marked "Not Achieved," via proxy disclosures that kept timeline risk front-and-center.
Traders are also pointing to a major regulatory milestone: the FCC's April 22 authorization to deploy and operate up to 248 satellites. This approval is acting as a near-term tailwind, helping the stock rebound as investors weigh the positive regulatory news against recent proxy-driven volatility.
ASTS Technical Analysis: Key Levels To Watch
The near-term chart is still in "repair mode" even with today's bounce: ASTS is trading 10.9% below its 20-day SMA ($80.25), 16.3% below its 50-day SMA ($85.47), and 19.3% below its 100-day SMA ($88.64). It's also just 3.3% below its 200-day SMA ($73.95), making that long-term average a key line bulls typically want to reclaim to argue the bigger uptrend is reasserting itself.
MACD is the cleaner momentum lens right now: it's below its signal line and the histogram is negative, which points to upside pressure fading versus the prior upswing unless buyers can push through nearby overhead levels. In plain English, MACD compares faster and slower trend signals—when it's below the signal line, momentum is usually cooling rather than building.
- Key Resistance: $84.00 — a round-number area that lines up closely with the 50-day zone where rebounds can stall
- Key Support: $69.50 — a nearby floor where buyers previously stepped in, close to the current price area
What Is AST SpaceMobile’s Business Model?
AST SpaceMobile is building a space-based cellular broadband network using a constellation of low Earth orbit BlueBird satellites, designed to connect directly to standard, unmodified mobile phones. The pitch is straightforward: extend coverage into connectivity gaps where terrestrial networks don't reach, without requiring special devices.
That business model makes ownership changes and funding signals matter more than they might for a mature telecom name, because investors tend to focus on execution milestones (satellites in orbit, standards, and early service traction). In this case, the market appears to be treating Rakuten's completed sale as a "known seller is done" development, which can reduce near-term supply pressure on the stock.
AST SpaceMobile's proxy details also reinforced how tightly management incentives are tied to delivery, with CEO Abel Avellan taking $0 base salary since 2021 and $14.2 million in 2025 compensation entirely in stock, as traders revisited milestone risk in has taken $0 disclosures.
ASTS Earnings Preview: What Analysts Expect
The countdown is on: AST SpaceMobile is set to report earnings on May 11.
- EPS Estimate: Loss of 21 cents (Down from Loss of 20 cents YoY)
- Revenue Estimate: $36.91 million (Up from $718,000 YoY)
Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Hold rating with an average price target of $75.52. Recent analyst moves include:
- Barclays: Underweight (Raises Target to $65.00) (April 9)
- UBS: Neutral (Raises Target to $85.00) (March 4)
- B. Riley Securities: Neutral (Lowers Target to $95.00) (Feb. 13)
ASTS Stock Price Action On Thursday
ASTS Stock Price Activity: AST SpaceMobile shares were down 1.56% at $69.58 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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