AST SpaceMobile stock slips into 2026 as markets shut for New Year’s Day — what ASTS investors watch next

AST SpaceMobile stock slips into 2026 as markets shut for New Year’s Day — what ASTS investors watch next

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 15:06 ET — Market closed

  • AST SpaceMobile shares last closed down 2.8% at $72.63 in the final session of 2025.
  • Traders have been repositioning after a sharp year-end swing tied to the company’s latest satellite milestone.
  • Focus is shifting to early-2026 execution: launch cadence, cash use, and the next earnings update.

AST SpaceMobile Inc shares ended the year lower, closing down 2.8% at $72.63 on Dec. 31, after swinging between $71.61 and $75.73 in the session. U.S. stock markets were closed on Thursday for New Year’s Day. New York Stock Exchange

The pullback mattered because AST SpaceMobile has become a high-volatility proxy for the “direct-to-device” trade — satellites linking directly to ordinary smartphones without specialized hardware. The stock’s sharp moves have reflected how quickly investors reprice execution risk as the company pushes toward commercial rollout. SEC

That sensitivity has grown after a powerful 2025 run. AST SpaceMobile shares were up nearly 250% for the year through Tuesday’s session, leaving the stock prone to abrupt profit-taking around new headlines and technical levels. Benzinga

The year-end dip followed a strong rebound a day earlier. AST SpaceMobile shares closed up 4.49% on Tuesday, a move market commentary attributed in part to bargain-hunting after a short losing streak. Benzinga+1

Investors have also continued to digest the company’s BlueBird 6 update from last week. “BlueBird 6 is a breakthrough moment for AST SpaceMobile,” founder and CEO Abel Avellan said in a statement after the company announced a successful orbital launch of the satellite it called the largest commercial communications array deployed in low Earth orbit. Business Wire

AST SpaceMobile has told investors it aims to scale launches to reach 45 to 60 satellites by the end of 2026, with launches “every one to two months on average.” The pace is central to the investment case because it determines how quickly coverage and revenue can expand. SEC

Space and satellite-linked names were mixed in the final session of 2025. Iridium Communications fell 0.8%, EchoStar slipped 0.4% and Viasat dropped 2.5%, while AST SpaceMobile fell more sharply.

The broader tape was also softer at year-end, with the SPDR S&P 500 ETF down 0.7% and the Invesco QQQ Trust off 0.8% on Dec. 31. That backdrop left high-beta stocks such as AST SpaceMobile vulnerable to selling into the close.

Before the next session on Friday, Jan. 2, traders will be watching whether the market’s late-December slide stabilizes as the first full day of 2026 trading gets underway. New York Stock Exchange+1

On the charts, some short-term traders have pointed to support near the low-$72 area and resistance around the high-$78 level, based on recent trading ranges cited by Benzinga Pro. AST SpaceMobile’s wide intraday range on Dec. 31 underlined how quickly momentum can flip. Benzinga

The next major company checkpoint is its quarterly update. Public.com lists AST SpaceMobile’s next earnings call as scheduled for March 2, 2026, while noting that the timing is based on available schedules. Public

When the company does report, investors are likely to focus on launch cadence, network buildout milestones and cash use — the operating levers that will determine whether the recent run-up can hold after the holiday break. SEC

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