BlueBird satellites 11, 12 and 13 are scheduled to launch on Aug. 5 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9.
- Saudi Central Bank more than doubled its ASTS stake, while Sumitomo Mitsui Trust boosted its position 23%.
- Pictet, Maryland State Retirement, ACT Capital and ALPS also added shares, though some institutions trimmed positions.
- Satellites 14-16 are already being readied, while production has advanced through satellite 42.
Shares of AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) are headed for their worst month in more than two years, but several institutional investors have been adding exposure as the company prepares to launch its next three BlueBird satellites.
ASTS stock jumped 10% on Thursday, but shares remain down 34% for the month.
Major Funds Raise ASTS Holdings
Quarter-end holdings data from Quiver Quantitative show that Saudi Central Bank more than doubled its ASTS stake, adding 8,348 shares to reach 16,652. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust added 95,347 shares, boosting its position 23% to 513,192 shares.
Pictet Asset Management raised its holding 9% to 86,920 shares, while Maryland State Retirement increased its stake 25%. ACT Capital Management opened a new 43,500-share position, and ALPS Advisors added 2,574 shares. However, certain institutional investors also trimmed their stakes: Ethic cut its position 32%, while Hazlett, Burt & Watson reduced its stake 17%.
AST SpaceMobile Preps Next BlueBird Launch
AST SpaceMobile said BlueBird satellites 11, 12 and 13 are scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Aug. 5, with liftoff targeted for 3:42 a.m. ET and another opportunity at 5:10 a.m. The mission follows the successful June deployment of BlueBirds 8, 9 and 10. Satellites 14, 15 and 16 are already being prepared for the following mission, while production has advanced through satellite 42.
“The upcoming launch of BlueBirds 11, 12, and 13 showcases our ability to rapidly and consistently build, launch, and deploy the largest phased arrays in low Earth orbit,” President Scott Wisniewski said. The next-gen satellites are expected to deliver nearly twice the peak download speeds of AST’s initial Block 1 spacecraft, which have demonstrated speeds of 98.9 Mbps directly to standard smartphones. AST said the expanding constellation positions it for beta services later this year.
Vodafone Stays Bullish Despite Delays
Vodafone also reaffirmed its commitment to AST this week, even after the company pushed its target for having 45 satellites available into early 2027 from late 2026. “It definitely is worth us working on it,” Vodafone CEO Margherita Della Valle said when asked whether launch delays weakened the partnership.
Vodafone is aiming for more than basic emergency satellite connectivity. “We want something more than just text messaging,” Della Valle said. “We want our customers to be able to essentially not realize whether their service is coming from an antenna in the center of London or a satellite.”
Vodafone expects 45 satellites to be available around the start of 2027, the level Della Valle said is needed to begin beta testing in the U.K., AST’s planned first European launch market. Still, she acknowledged the biggest execution variable: “Our timelines are very much dependent on rockets.”
AST now has agreements with nearly 60 mobile operators representing more than 3 billion subscribers, including AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone and Rakuten.
How Do Retail Traders Feel About ASTS?
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for ASTS was ‘bearish’ amid ‘low’ message volume.
One user said, “$ASTS while we were stressing, ASTS kept building. Launch next week, a ways upward to go before we touch max pain, more premarket volume than we’ve had, and seemingly a hard quadruple (?) bottom. That 20%+ day is going to hit soon. Could it be today? Tmmrw? Early next week?”
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Another user said, “$ASTS Let’s hope $58+ today. Slow and steady rise into next week and then liftoff with the satellite launch.”
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ASTS stock has risen 8% over the past year.
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