AST SpaceMobile stock jumps nearly 15% as BlueBird 6 milestone puts 2026 rollout back in focus
New York, Jan 2, 2026, 18:37 ET — After-hours AST SpaceMobile shares surged on Friday and held gains into after-hours trading, as investors returned from the holiday break chasing momentum in satellite-to-phone connectivity plays. The stock was up 14.9% at $83.47. The move matters now because 2026 is shaping up as a make-or-break year for companies promising to connect ordinary smartphones to satellites — a race that has drawn telecom partners, regulators and retail traders. AST is still in the buildout phase, so the stock tends to react sharply to execution milestones and deployment timelines. It also lands as the