AST SpaceMobile Stock Declines Amid Insider Sales and Launch Delay

TLDR

• Rakuten’s Hiroshi Mikitani offloaded approximately $154.5 million worth of ASTS stock, contributing to total insider sales of about $274 million last quarter.
• The BlueBird 7 satellite launch was postponed to April 19, with a scheduled departure from Kennedy Space Center.
• Deutsche Bank reduced its price target from $139 to $117, referencing Amazon’s planned acquisition of Globalstar.
• Short interest reached its highest level in eight months as traders increased bearish bets.
• Institutional investors such as Vanguard and Invesco kept expanding their holdings.

(SeaPRwire) –   AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) has endured a difficult week. The stock fell approximately 6% as a confluence of insider selling, a launch postponement, and an analyst price target reduction occurred simultaneously.

AST SpaceMobile, Inc., ASTS

The most significant news involved Rakuten billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani selling 1.69 million ASTS shares on April 14 at an average price of $91.42, amounting to roughly $154.5 million. This transaction alone unsettled the market. Taking a broader view, company insiders sold around 3.08 million shares last quarter, with a total value of approximately $274 million. Insider ownership currently represents about 30.9%.

The company’s Chief Technology Officer also reduced his stake. Huiwen Yao sold 40,000 shares on March 23 at $88.88, slashing his holding by nearly 90%. This left him with only 4,750 shares.

BlueBird 7 Launch in Focus

The launch of the BlueBird 7 satellite, initially set for an earlier date, was rescheduled for April 19. It is planned to lift off from Kennedy Space Center aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn-3 mission, with a launch window between 6:45 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. EDT.

The satellite is equipped with a phased-array antenna measuring roughly 2,400 square feet and is designed to provide direct-to-device broadband service to standard smartphones, supporting peak speeds exceeding 120 Mbps with both 4G and 5G capabilities.

A successful launch would represent a significant milestone for validating the company’s technology. ASTS has agreements with more than 50 mobile network operators worldwide, encompassing nearly 3 billion combined subscribers. Partners include AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, and Google.

The delay heightened investor nervousness. Short interest rose to an eight-month peak as traders adopted defensive positions ahead of the mission.

Analyst Pressure Builds

Deutsche Bank lowered its price target from $139 to $117, citing heightened competitive pressure following Amazon’s deal to acquire Globalstar. This development sparked worries about ASTS’s long-term standing in the satellite communications sector.

Scotiabank took a more severe stance, downgrading ASTS to “sector underperform” with a $45.60 target. B. Riley reduced its target from $105 to $95, maintaining a neutral rating. The stock’s consensus analyst rating is now “Reduce,” with an average price target of $77.10, significantly below its current trading price.

Not all sentiment is negative. Deutsche Bank maintains its $117 target. Jim Cramer made positive comments about the stock on Mad Money. Additionally, Barclays increased its target to $65 from $60 following the successful BlueBird 6 launch with ISRO, although it retained an Underweight rating.

Among institutional investors, Vanguard boosted its stake by 13.4% in the third quarter to nearly 20 million shares. Invesco expanded its position by over 600%, and VanEck more than doubled its holdings. Overall institutional ownership is approximately 61%.

ASTS reported its Q4 2025 earnings on March 2, posting revenue of $54.31 million, which substantially exceeded the $39.53 million consensus estimate. Earnings per share came in at -$0.26, missing estimates of -$0.18. The company provided 2026 revenue guidance of $150 million to $200 million.

The stock opened at $85.53 on Friday, trading between its 50-day moving average of $88.90 and its 200-day moving average of $83.34. Its 12-month trading range is $20.26 to $129.89.