AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) shares crashed on Friday after partner Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded on its launchpad at Cape Canaveral during a hotfire ground test.
Despite the selloff, ASTS remains decisively above its major moving averages (MAs), indicating bulls remain firmly in control across multiple timeframes.
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AST SpaceMobile stock has been a blockbuster performer in recent weeks — still up a remarkable 80% versus its year-to-date low.
www.barchart.comDeutsche Bank Downgrades AST SpaceMobile Stock
The Blue Origin disaster made Deutsche Bank’s analyst Bryan Kraft downgrade ASTS shares to “Hold” and lower his price target to $106, signaling further downside potential.
The rationale was direct: launch access is now genuinely at risk.
Kraft said it had previously estimated that 26 AST SpaceMobile satellites would launch on “New Glenn” this year, but now it may be very optimistic to expect any New Glenn launches in the next three months.
In fact, it’s possibly unrealistic for AST SpaceMobile to access the four New Glenn launches it had modeled for 2026, he added.
According to the Deutsche Bank analyst, the “catastrophic explosion” caused heavy damage to the launchpad, which will take time to repair. The firm now expects the ASTS deployment timeline to slip by about six months.
Should You Buy the Dip in ASTS Shares?
For long-term investors, today’s pullback may be an opportunity to load up on AST SpaceMobile shares at a discount, given the company is fully funded for over 100 satellites and holds about $3.5 billion in cash.
The next near-term catalyst is the BlueBird 8, 9, and 10 launch on a Falcon 9 rocket in mid-June, which doesn’t depend on Blue Origin at all.
The derivative market is also bullish on ASTS. According to Barchart, the put-to-call ratio on options contracts expiring late August sits at 0.31x, indicating a strongly bullish skew — with the upper price set at $155 signaling potential upside of more than 30% from here.
How Wall Street Recommends Playing AST SpaceMobile
Wall Street analysts, however, don't share the options market optimism on ASTS stock.
The consensus rating on AST SpaceMobile sits at a “Hold," with the mean price target of roughly $86, indicating potential significant further decline from here.
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On the date of publication, Wajeeh Khan did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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