ASTS Stock Heads Its Worst Week In Over A Month: This Analyst Has Slashed Price Target By Over 20% On Pricing Concerns

• B. Riley downgraded AST to ‘Neutral’ from ‘Buy’ and cut its price target to $65 from $85.
• The firm flagged multi-tenant satellite networks such as Viasat and Space42’s Equatys to challenge AST’s pricing power.
• AST is targeting roughly 45 BlueBird satellites in orbit by early 2027.

AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) was in the spotlight on Friday after B. Riley downgraded the satellite-connectivity company, highlighting challenges for the space firm due to stronger competition, launch delays and potentially higher constellation costs.

ASTS shares were down 0.4% at the time of writing, tracking their fifth straight session in the red. ASTS stock is also set to post its biggest weekly fall in over a month.

B. Riley Downgrades ASTS

B. Riley downgraded ASTS to ‘Neutral’ from ‘Buy’ and slashed its price target to $65 from $85, according to the Fly. However, this still represents over 14% upside from current levels.  The firm said it is increasingly concerned about how much consumers will ultimately be willing to pay for satellite connectivity as cheaper alternatives emerge,

ASTS has a 12-month consensus price target of $79.61, while five of the 14 analysts covering the stock have given it a ‘Buy’ rating, seven ‘Hold’ and two ‘Sell,’ according to Koyfin data.

Satellite Pricing Remains A Key Question

AST plans to sell its service through mobile-network partners rather than directly to most consumers. Carriers will set pricing, which could include day passes, monthly add-ons, and emergency-use plans, though AST has not disclosed specific consumer prices.

B. Riley pointed to growing uncertainty around multi-tenant satellite networks, which could put pressure on AST SpaceMobile’s pricing. These networks allow several mobile operators to share the same satellites and ground infrastructure. Since the cost of building and operating the system can be spread across multiple customers, the service could potentially be offered at a lower price.

The firm highlighted Viasat (VSAT) as an example. Viasat is working with Space42 to build Equatys, a shared satellite-connectivity platform for telecom operators.

ASTS Pushes Back BlueBird Launch Timeline 

AST had previously aimed to put roughly 45 BlueBird satellites into orbit during 2026, but later shifted that target to early 2027, citing launch availability. The company estimates it needs 45 to 60 satellites for continuous coverage across key markets and about 90 for its broader targeted network.

AST SpaceMobile’s next launch is an important near-term catalyst. BlueBirds 14, 15 and 16 were recently shipped from the company’s Texas facility to Cape Canaveral, although AST has not yet announced a launch date.

Meanwhile, AST’s contracted revenue backlog stood at about $1.3 billion at the end of the second quarter (Q2), including U.S. government contracts. The company’s revenue outlook for 2026 is between $150 million and $200 million.

Retail Bulls Eye $100

Retail sentiment surrounding ASTS on Stocktwits remained in the ‘bullish’ territory over the past 24 hours, amid ‘high’ message volumes. ASTS was also among the top trending stocks at the time of writing.  

One user saw support in the $53 - $55 zone.

However, a bullish user expects the stock to surge to $100 by the end of the month.

ASTS shares have slumped more than 31% so far this year, significantly underperforming rivals RKLB, LUNR and SPCE.

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