Orange Partners with AST SpaceMobile to Enhance Satellite Connectivity

Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst

Source: Newsfilter

Updated: 1 hour ago

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ASTS-7.66%

AMZN+1%

Should l Buy ASTS?

Source: Newsfilter

Partnership Announcement: French telecom leader Orange has partnered with AST SpaceMobile and Vodafone's joint venture Satellite Connect Europe to enhance direct-to-cell satellite connectivity, with demonstrations of voice, SMS, and data planned in Romania for late 2026, marking a significant strategic move in satellite communications.
Satellite Constellation Initiative: Formed in November, Satellite Connect Europe aims to establish a Europe-based satellite constellation with an operational center in Germany, focusing on both commercial and government applications for satellite-to-smartphone connectivity, highlighting the importance of enhancing Europe's competitiveness in the global communications market.
Market Competition: Orange CEO Christel Heydemann has been a strong advocate for European satellite sovereignty, emphasizing the need to compete against rivals like Elon Musk's Starlink and Amazon's upcoming low Earth orbit network, indicating the company's strategic positioning in the satellite communications landscape.
Future Prospects: By collaborating with AST SpaceMobile, Orange not only strengthens its technological capabilities in satellite communications but also paves the way for future commercial opportunities, particularly as demand for satellite connectivity from government and commercial clients continues to rise.

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Analyst Views on ASTS

Wall Street analysts forecast ASTS stock price to rise

8 Analyst Rating

3 Buy

4 Hold

1 Sell

Hold

Current: 85.760

Low

43.00

Averages

91.68

High

137.00

Current: 85.760

Low

43.00

Averages

91.68

High

137.00

B. Riley

Mike Crawford

Neutral

downgrade

$105 -> $95

2026-02-13

Reason

B. Riley

Mike Crawford

Price Target

$105 -> $95

AI Analysis

2026-02-13

downgrade

Neutral

Reason

B. Riley analyst Mike Crawford lowered the firm's price target on AST SpaceMobile to $95 from $105 and keeps a Neutral rating on the shares. Shares fell 15% amid a broader sector downturn after the company priced a $1B 2.25% convertible note due 2036 and executed a $614M direct offering to retire existing debt, strengthening its balance sheet to roughly $2.78B in cash, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Preliminary FY25 results show revenue of $63M-$71M and adjusted opex of $257M-$263M, while management highlighted potential new focus areas, including monetizing proprietary LEO technology for AI-related opportunities and alternative payloads, the firm says.

BofA

Neutral

maintain

$100

2026-01-21

Reason

BofA

Price Target

$100

2026-01-21

maintain

Neutral

Reason

After Blue Origin announced plans for a new satellite communications network, TeraWave, that will leverage low and medium Earth orbit satellites to deliver symmetrical data speeds up to 6 Tbps, BofA said TeraWave "adds to the long list of planned satellite constellations," but is not a direct competitive threat to AST SpaceMobile, which targets the direct-to-device D2D market largely through mobile network operator partnerships. The firm, which contends that fears for AST SpaceMobile on the TeraWave news are "misplaced," reiterates a Neutral rating and $100 price target on AST shares.

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About ASTS

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. is engaged in building a global cellular broadband network in space to operate directly with standard, unmodified mobile devices based on its intellectual property (IP) and patent portfolio and designed for both commercial and government applications. The Company is engaged in designing and developing the constellation of BlueBird (BB) satellites and has planned space-based Cellular Broadband network distributed through a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Its SpaceMobile Service is being designed to provide high-speed cellular broadband services to end-users who are out of terrestrial cellular coverage using existing mobile devices. The Company intends to continue testing capabilities of the BW3 test satellite, including further testing with cellular service providers and the government. The Company has operations in India, Scotland, Spain, and Israel.

About the author

Emily J. Thompson

Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.

AST SpaceMobile Set to Announce Q4 Earnings on March 2

2 days agoseekingalpha

Earnings Announcement: AST SpaceMobile is set to release its Q4 earnings on March 2 after market close, with consensus EPS estimate at -$0.20 and revenue estimate at $41.55 million, reflecting a staggering 2064.1% year-over-year growth, which will be a critical indicator of the company's financial health.
Performance Expectations: Over the past two years, AST SpaceMobile has only beaten EPS estimates 25% of the time and revenue estimates 25% of the time, indicating challenges in profitability that may affect investor confidence moving forward.
Contract Acquisition: The company recently secured a $30 million contract with the U.S. SDA to provide satellite communication solutions, which not only strengthens its market position but also lays the groundwork for potential future revenue growth.
Market Competition Landscape: Among communication service stocks, Sphere Entertainment and EchoStar have the highest short interest, while the Atlanta Braves and IHS show the lowest exposure, highlighting varying levels of market confidence that AST SpaceMobile must navigate.