NEW YORK, Jan 9, 2026, 14:40 (EST) — Regular session
- AST SpaceMobile shares were up about 9% in afternoon trading, recouping some of the losses after a midweek slide.
- BofA raised its price target to $100 but stuck with a neutral stance; Scotiabank recently downgraded the stock on valuation.
- Investors are focused on execution pace — satellite rollouts, customer uptake and the next quarterly update.
AST SpaceMobile shares rose 8.6% to $98.34 in Friday afternoon trading after Bank of America raised its price target on the space-based broadband company to $100 from $85 and kept a Neutral rating. (TipRanks)
The rebound follows a sharp pullback earlier this week, a reminder of how fast sentiment can swing on the stock. Scotiabank analyst Andres Coello cut AST SpaceMobile to Sector Underperform — roughly a sell — and put a $45.60 price target on it, saying the valuation had climbed to “irrational levels” even though the company has yet to sign a retail customer. (Investing)
The push and pull is especially important now, with AST’s surge already baking in plenty of what’s ahead. The shares trade at more than 100 times analysts’ 2026 sales forecast of about $270 million, and the company isn’t expected to post positive operating profit until 2027, Barron’s reported, citing FactSet data. (Barron’s)
AST is working on a low Earth orbit network designed to beam broadband to standard smartphones. Low Earth orbit, or LEO, puts satellites a few hundred miles above the planet, helping reduce the lag that’s long dogged older systems in higher orbits.
Bulls are hanging their case on scale: a bigger constellation, they argue, flips the switch to real service and then real revenue faster than earlier space telecom plays. Bears drag it back to the numbers — how many satellites actually make it up, how fast customers arrive, and what the capital bill looks like while they wait.
Then there’s plain-old market risk. If launches slip, adoption comes in slower than expected, or the company has to raise fresh funding on tougher terms, the stock can reprice fast — especially at these levels, and with short interest prone to flare-ups.
Friday’s move hauled AST back within reach of $100 after the week’s selloff, a level traders have treated as a line in the sand. The stock has already shown it can snap sharply either way, sometimes in a single session.
The next catalyst is the company’s next earnings report, which market calendars peg for March 2. Investors will be listening for details on the timing of the commercial rollout, customer traction and any updated view on cash needs. (Nasdaq)
