AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) Stock: What’s Behind the 7% Premarket Surge Tuesday

TLDR

• ASTS stock rose over 7% in premarket trading Tuesday, trading at $113.34, driven by broad space sector momentum and a major industry catalyst.
• AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile announced a joint venture to eliminate cellular dead zones using satellite direct-to-device technology — exactly what ASTS provides.
• The FCC approved AST SpaceMobile to offer commercial direct-to-device services in the U.S., a key regulatory milestone.
• Roth Capital raised its price target to $108 with a Buy rating, citing $3.5 billion in cash and funding for 100+ satellites.
• The next catalyst is the BlueBird 8, 9, and 10 satellite launch on Falcon 9, expected in mid-June.

AST SpaceMobile stock climbed more than 7% in premarket trading on Tuesday, hitting $113.34, as investors piled into space sector names on a combination of regulatory wins, industry partnerships, and renewed enthusiasm ahead of a potential SpaceX IPO that could be valued at over $2 trillion.

AST SpaceMobile, Inc., ASTS

The move extends what has been a remarkable multi-week run for ASTS, which is up 326% over the past 12 months.

The biggest story driving the stock Tuesday was the announcement that AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are forming a joint venture to close cellular dead zones using satellite-based direct-to-device technology. That’s precisely the service AST SpaceMobile is building.

CEO Abel Avellan didn’t miss the moment. He said the company plans to be “a key enabler of this transformation” as it grows its global low Earth orbit network and expands available spectrum.

The FCC also gave its formal blessing this week, approving AST SpaceMobile to offer commercial direct-to-device services in the U.S. — a regulatory hurdle that had been hanging over the stock for some time.

On the analyst side, Roth Capital upgraded its price target from $82.50 to $108, maintaining a Buy rating. The firm pointed to the company’s fully funded satellite program — over 100 satellites — and a cash position of roughly $3.5 billion.

Analyst Consensus Still Cautious

Despite the strong momentum, the broader analyst community remains measured. The consensus rating is Hold, with an average price target of $68.90 — well below where the stock is currently trading.

UBS and B. Riley Securities both kept Neutral ratings earlier this month, with targets of $80 and $85, respectively. Barclays has an Underweight rating with a $65 target.

The gap between where the stock trades and where analysts are anchored suggests the recent move is being driven more by momentum and sentiment than fundamental valuation upgrades.

The company’s next earnings update is estimated for August 10, 2026. Analysts expect revenue of $34.54 million for the quarter, up sharply from $1.16 million in the same period last year.

The full-year 2026 revenue outlook stands at $150 million to $200 million, and the company has more than $1.2 billion in contracted revenue commitments already on the books.

Space Sector Broadly in Rally Mode

ASTS wasn’t the only name catching a bid. Rocket Lab climbed 6% and Planet Labs added 4%, as the space sector broadly moved higher in unison.

Two new leveraged ETFs also launched recently — the Defiance Daily Target 2X Long ASTS ETF and the T-REX 2X Long ASTS Daily Target ETF — adding another layer of trading amplification to the stock.

ASTS carries meaningful weight in several existing funds too, including the Procure Space ETF at 5.36% and the Defiance Connective Technologies ETF at 4.41%.

The broader market provided a mild tailwind, with the S&P 500 up 0.4% and the Dow Jones up 0.6%.

The next concrete catalyst on the calendar is the BlueBird 8, 9, and 10 satellite launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, expected in mid-June 2026. A successful launch would bring ASTS closer to its target of roughly 45 satellites in orbit by year-end.

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