AST SpaceMobile draws retail and hedge‑fund interest as satellite broadband rollout progresses

Leonteq Securities AG reduced its stake in AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) by 82.6% in the first quarter, selling 25,147 shares and ending the period with a holding worth about $439,000. Several other wealth‑advisory firms added modest positions during the same timeframe, and a range of analysts have issued mixed ratings and price targets for the stock.

At the same time, retail investors are turning to AST SpaceMobile as a publicly traded alternative to the SpaceX hype. The company is building the world’s first space‑based cellular broadband network, with the FCC authorising a 248‑satellite constellation and direct‑to‑cell operations. It has secured agreements with 60 mobile operators covering more than three billion subscribers, including carriers such as AT&T, Verizon and Vodafone. A launch mishap placed one BlueBird satellite in the wrong orbit, but the issue was attributed to the launch vehicle rather than AST’s technology. Despite the setback, 39 hedge funds hold positions in the company, and sentiment among investors remains constructive.