New York, January 8, 2026, 12:43 PM EST — Regular session
- AST SpaceMobile shares rose about 6% in midday trade after closing at $85.73 a day earlier.
- Scotiabank cut its rating and kept a $45.60 target, pointing to valuation and execution risks.
- Focus turns to launch cadence, customer traction and the next earnings update.
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) shares were up 5.9% at $90.75 in midday trading on Thursday, after swinging between $85.11 and $93.96. The stock ended Wednesday at $85.73.
The bounce follows a sharp jolt in a stock that has been a standout winner. ASTS fell 12% on Wednesday after a Scotiabank downgrade reignited valuation worries, and the shares traded as low as $83.91 in the session, Barron’s reported. The stock was still up about 304% over the past 12 months, and Barron’s said the company is not expected to turn profitable until 2027. 1
Scotiabank analyst Andres Coello cut the shares to Underperform from Sector Perform and reiterated a $45.60 price target — the level analysts use to signal where they think a stock could trade. Coello said the shares had reached “irrational levels” and flagged questions around timing, user adoption and the cost of building out the constellation, TipRanks reported. 2
AST SpaceMobile is developing satellites designed to connect directly with standard, unmodified smartphones, extending coverage where cell towers do not reach. In a late-December launch update, CEO Abel Avellan called BlueBird 6 a “breakthrough moment” and said the company was targeting 45–60 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026. 3
For investors, the near-term debate is less about the concept — satellite-to-phone service is no longer theoretical — and more about execution. Any signs that carrier trials are converting into paying users, and at what price points, will matter as much as the next launch.
But the downside case is plain: a slip in launch cadence, slower-than-expected uptake, or a higher funding bill than the market is pricing could stretch timelines and keep losses wider for longer. With a stock that has run hard, that kind of delay can hit fast.
ASTS’s next scheduled milestone for many traders is its next earnings report, which Nasdaq lists as estimated for March 2, 2026, when investors will be looking for an update on cash use, deployment pace and commercial readiness. 4
