AST SpaceMobile rose 4% to $42.24 in early trading after its carrier partners, described as Europe's four largest, signed a letter of intent to explore a potential joint bid for mobile satellite services spectrum. The letter names no financial terms and adds no signed revenue yet, while SpaceX and Rocket Lab rose more modestly. The company has 13 BlueBird satellites in orbit, targets about 45 by early 2027, and says its carrier partners cover more than 3 billion subscribers. Its Q2 2026 revenue of $31.52 million missed expectations, and the loss of $0.77 per share also fell short, though management reaffirmed revenue guidance of $150 million to $200 million for the year. Pro forma liquidity tops $3.7 billion and the signed backlog is roughly $1.3 billion.
Summary written by Upside AI from the original article. Read the source for full details.
Read the original on Yahoo Finance ↗
Keywords
AST SpaceMobileSpaceXtelecommunicationssatellites
Open a keyword to see other news on the same topic.
Related news
- Look Who's Using D2C Satellite Phones Now!
The article notes SpaceX has 650 direct-to-cell (D2C) satellites in orbit and just won FCC approval to launch 15,000 more, while AST SpaceMobile has only 13 satellites and needs at least 45 to offer service in select markets. D2C satellites make up about 6.5% of Starlink's more than 10,000 satellites, and Starlink is growing revenue 66% and profit 79% a year. According to Opensignal's tracker, most D2C connections are in the United States, Canada and Japan, with activity along the coasts of Australia, New Zealand and Puerto Rico. The author sees significant room for growth as more satellites launch, and suggests investors could track the tracker data alongside exchange rates of the local currencies.
- SpaceX Is Buying Airwaves to Take On the Wireless Carriers. Is the Stock a Buy?
On October 8, SpaceX agreed to buy Grain Management's nationwide 800 MHz spectrum portfolio to help its Starlink Mobile service reach phones indoors; terms were not disclosed, though The Wall Street Journal put the price at about $8 billion in cash. Shares of T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T each fell over 10% the next day, while SpaceX stock barely moved and trades near $146, about 31% below its record $211.39 close on June 16. In the second quarter, SpaceX's connectivity segment, which houses Starlink, posted revenue of $4.3 billion, up 66% year over year, and was the only segment with an operating profit; the Grain purchase still needs FCC approval. At a valuation of about $2 trillion, the $8 billion is under 1% of that, but trailing four-quarter revenue of about $23 billion leaves the stock above 80 times sales, and the company lost $4.8 billion in the first half of 2026. The author considers the stock still too pricey, noting that revenue from direct phone service is probably more than a year away and that third-quarter results are due October 20.
- Rocket Lab Just Booked Its Biggest Contract Ever (Again)
Rocket Lab received an order from Japanese customer Synspective for 20 more Electron launches, announced September 30, bringing Synspective's total to 47 launches and making it Rocket Lab's largest customer. The company calls this its largest-ever Electron deal, excluding the 20 HASTE launches. Rocket Lab did not disclose pricing, but at its most recently advertised price of $8.4 million per launch, the 20 launches would generate about $168 million between 2028 and 2031. The deal pushes the company's backlog beyond 100 missions, or more than $840 million in future revenue. The article notes that Neutron's first launch has been postponed to 2027, and argues Rocket Lab could turn profitable in 2027 thanks to the pending Iridium purchase, with or without Neutron.
- Verizon launches generous customer perks after raising prices
- Yes, You're Probably Paying More for Phone Service. Here's Where Your Money Is Going
T-Mobile raised its Regulatory Programs and Telco Recovery fees effective Oct. 12, with voice lines now paying $5.49 a month instead of $4.49 and mobile internet lines paying $2.60 instead of $2.10. The big three US carriers, T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon, have all added similar fee increases over roughly the past year and a half, and these add-on charges are not covered by multi-year price guarantees on the plan itself. Analyst Roger Entner argues that spreading out small increases is a poor strategy, though he says modest hikes rarely prompt customers to switch carriers. Carriers have also raised prices on legacy plans and moved some T-Mobile customers to new plans with increases of up to $6 per line, while price guarantees have become less common.
- Rocket Lab Tumbles 11% as Neutron’s First Flight Moves to 2027; SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile Pull Back
Rocket Lab said the first launch of its Neutron rocket is now expected in 2027, after manufacturing found voids in the carbon composite layers of the propellant dome. CEO Peter Beck said the problem is solved and would reduce margin but not necessarily cause an in-flight failure, while cryogenic and hydrostatic testing will not finish until Q1 2027, later than the earlier target of delivering Neutron to the launch pad before the end of 2026. Rocket Lab shares fell 11% to $52.85 in morning trading, after an 8% drop the previous day to $59.18. SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile each fell about 2%, the UFO ETF slid 2% and the SPY fell 0.3%, which the article reads as a company-specific repricing. Backlog reached $2.36 billion at the end of Q2 2026, up 137% year over year.
Related markets
Latest news
- Iran warns US and Israel
Iran's Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Major General Ali Abdollahi, warned on October 18 that the US and Israel would face a far harsher response if they continue actions Tehran considers provocative. He said Tehran is awaiting their next moves and that Iran's armed forces remain ready for any scenario. Tehran accuses Washington and Tel Aviv of trying to weaken its government, and tensions have risen since earlier conflicts, including a 12-day war. Iran says it will not back down under external pressure.
- Is TC Energy (TRP) a Good or Bad Investment at Today's Multiple?
TC Energy trades at 21.19 times next year's expected earnings, closing at $61.74 on October 16 after a 1.5% return over 6 months, versus 10.5% for the Insider Monkey Billionaire Index and 9.3% for the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust. The company operates natural gas transmission pipelines across Canada, the United States and Mexico, plus power generation, with a 44.25% operating margin, and latest-quarter earnings rose 18.00% on revenue up 5.70%. The article flags risks including debt at 170.37% of equity, the loss of crude oil pipelines to South Bow in 2024, and volumes that depend on North American gas demand from power and LNG exports. A 4.01% yield is cited as income while the market decides whether the stable business justifies the multiple relative to its growth.
- Should You Buy This Trump AI Stock Ahead of Earnings?
Microsoft (MSFT) reports quarterly results on October 28 and ranks eighth in Trump's latest stock portfolio, after Trump bought the stock five times in August. Bulls point to Azure growth of 43% last quarter, with management expecting about 45% in the current quarter, and to demand that exceeds available computing capacity. Bears cite rising capital spending that Deutsche Bank says could push free cash flow close to breakeven in fiscal 2027, about two-thirds of spending going to short-lived equipment such as chips, and OpenAI making up about 45% of the commercial backlog in the December quarter. The stock trades at 26.75 times forward earnings, a 27% premium to the sector median of 21.01 but 12% below its own five-year average of 30.47, with a PEG ratio of 1.70 versus a sector median of 1.14. The article concludes that investors pay more than for the average tech stock but less than they usually pay for Microsoft.
- What Is Williams' (WMB) Economic Moat, and Is It Steel or Permits?
Williams (WMB) closed at $71.28 on October 16, with a 0.5% return over 6 months, compared with 10.5% for the Insider Monkey Billionaire Index and 9.3% for the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust. The article argues its main advantage is the Transco pipeline, which runs from the Gulf Coast up the eastern seaboard, where several attempts to build new pipe have been abandoned after failing to win approvals. A 39.54% operating margin and 21.50% return on equity are cited as evidence of this advantage, although revenue rose only 7.80% last quarter. Limits noted include debt at 200.37% of equity, rules that also restrict Williams' own growth, and a price of 26.81 times expected next-year earnings. The dividend yields 2.95%.
- Marvell Jumps 6% as GF Securities Says Google Chip Delay Won’t Dent Its Position; Broadcom Rises 3%
Marvell shares rose 6% to $241.27 in afternoon trading after a reported delay in Google's next TPU chip, while Broadcom gained 3%. GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu said the delay does not change Marvell's medium- to long-term position in Google's chip supply chain. Marvell reported Q2 FY2027 revenue of $2.74 billion, up 36.5% YoY, with its Data Center segment at $2.17 billion, or 79% of revenue. Google can acquire up to 7% of Marvell shares under a warrant tied to revenue targets, and management expects its custom business to more than double in fiscal 2028. Q3 revenue guidance is $3.15 billion, plus or minus 5%, with non-GAAP gross margin of 57.5% to 58.5%, and the article notes Marvell still needs to convert its Google programs into reported revenue.
- Is ONEOK (OKE) Cheap at 14 Times Next Year’s Earnings?
ONEOK (NYSE:OKE) closed at $93.31 on October 16 and returned 11.4% over six months, versus 10.5% for the Insider Monkey Billionaire Index. The stock trades at 14.49 times next year's expected earnings and yields 4.59%, and revenue rose 52.80% last quarter as the company grew through acquisitions. The article argues that much of this growth was bought rather than built, with only 13.25% of revenue remaining as operating profit and debt at 143.07% of equity. Because a large part of the business involves buying and reselling liquids rather than earning transport fees, the article views the discount as having a reason behind it. It concludes that investors should watch margins rather than revenue.
Get the briefing on Telegram or Zalo
Join the Upside Telegram channel or Zalo group for the Vietnam stocks and gold briefing at 8:00 and 19:00 (Vietnam time) on trading days, plus a weekly wrap on Saturday morning.