New York, May 26, 2026, 05:04 (EDT)
- AST SpaceMobile traded at $112.72 in premarket action after finishing at $105.86 on Friday, a gain of 10.01%.
- U.S. stock markets are set to open Tuesday after Nasdaq was closed Monday for Memorial Day.
- Space-stock flows, hype around a possible SpaceX IPO, and AST’s direct-to-device satellite push are driving the trade.
AST SpaceMobile shares gained early Tuesday in U.S. premarket, building on last week’s surge. The stock is one of the market’s only listed ways to play satellite-to-phone broadband, and investors have been coming back in.
AST SpaceMobile traded at $112.72, up 6.48% from Friday, according to StockAnalysis data at 4:49 a.m. EDT. The shares, which ended the last regular session at $105.86, gained 10.01% for the day and rose each trading day last week.
Timing is key. U.S. cash equities are set to resume trading after the Memorial Day holiday, with May 25 listed by Nasdaq as a market holiday. AST now trades as a liquid proxy for direct-to-device satellite service, which connects standard phones directly to satellites, no special hardware required.
Money is moving into the broader space trade. Reuters said Friday that space-themed ETFs have taken in $1.3 billion over the past month, putting total assets for these funds at $3.3 billion as managers get ready for a possible SpaceX IPO. Bryan Armour of Morningstar said investors were reacting to something “new and shiny.” Strategas ETF strategist Todd Sohn flagged that there are “so few companies involved,” so the funds might overlap a lot. Reuters
New leveraged trading options keep coming. Defiance rolled out ASTY, a 2X daily long ETF that tracks AST SpaceMobile. That means it aims to amplify AST’s daily move, before fees, not double its long-term return. Defiance says ASTY is built for experienced traders. It isn’t a direct stake in AST.
The driver remains the U.S. wireless sector’s move into satellite. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon announced a joint venture earlier this month to bring satellite direct-to-device tech to the mix, aiming to cover gaps and build standards for both carriers and satellite firms.
AST called the move a positive step. Chief Executive Abel Avellan said the company wants to be a “key enabler” as it grows its low Earth orbit network. Low Earth orbit satellites fly closer to the planet than those in higher orbits, which means lower latency. Business Wire
AT&T CEO John Stankey called out AST at a J.P. Morgan investor conference, saying AT&T has a “great relationship” with the company and calling its tech “unique for direct-to-device.” Stankey added that AT&T will keep moving the product forward as the new joint venture goes through approval. Fierce Network
AST is still in early days. The company’s first-quarter report showed revenue of $14.7 million, jumping from $718,000 a year ago. But net loss to common stockholders also grew, reaching $191.0 million, or 66 cents a share. AST said SpaceMobile service hasn’t launched yet, so there’s no revenue from it.
Trade plans are tight. AST said its Block 2 BB7 satellite went up in April but ended up in a lower orbit than planned and de-orbited. The carrying value is between $155 million and $160 million, and insurance claims are still in process. The company wants about 45 BlueBird satellites in place by the end of 2026, but said that’s subject to satellite tests, launch vehicle prep, logistics, approvals, available windows and capital.
Competition isn’t theoretical. SpaceX’s Starlink is the mark investors target, and Rocket Lab shows up as another public name in space. For AST, the focus is wireless. Fierce Network said both AT&T and Verizon have put money into AST for direct-to-device, while T-Mobile has its own service based on Starlink.
Traders will watch regular-session volume to see if the premarket move for AST sticks after the long weekend. Right now, AST’s stock isn’t acting like a usual telecom name—trading closer to a call option on satellite broadband making the jump from pilots and carrier deals to full-scale service.
