TLDR
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) closed at $36.89 on Monday, up 14.1%.
A new Japan venture with Rakuten led the rally.
Q3 revenue of $42.3 million missed the $45.7 million estimate.
The full-year forecast of $150 million to $200 million held.
The stock slipped about 1.3% to $36.43 after hours.
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) stock closed at $36.89 on Monday, up $4.56 or 14.1%. It was a two-part day, with a Japan deal in the morning and earnings after the bell.
AST SpaceMobile, Inc., ASTS
The stock traded between $32.26 and $38.20 during the session. Its market cap landed near $11.06 billion.
The S&P 500 gained 2.3% and the Nasdaq Composite rose 2.7%. The whole market was in a good mood.
The headline was a joint venture with Japan’s Rakuten, called Rakuten AST. The two companies have been partners since 2020.
Rakuten will control the venture. It will use AST’s satellites to reach parts of Japan with poor cell coverage.
The network is also meant to keep people connected during a disaster. Rakuten AST can receive up to about $1 billion in Japanese government funding.
A Rally With a Crowd
The funding was not new, since the company won the bid in June. Still, the deal gave traders something fresh to talk about.
Space stocks also rose after NASA announced awards for SpaceX , Voyager Technologies, Firefly Aerospace, Blue Origin and others. Voyager gained about 16% and Firefly about 17%.
AST was not named in the awards. It rose anyway, like a guest who wasn’t on the list but got in with the crowd.
The Numbers After the Bell
AST then reported third-quarter revenue of $42.3 million, nearly triple last year’s level. Wall Street had expected $45.7 million.
AST SPACEMOBILE $ASTS Q3’26 EARNINGS HIGHLIGHTS
Revenue: $42.3M (Est. $46.6M)
EPS: -$0.44 (Est. -$0.40)
Cash & Liquidity: ~$3.2B
Affirms FY26 Guide:
Revenue: $150M-$200M (Est. $167M)
Announcements:
Blacklift: 20-ton reusable rocket; launches starting… pic.twitter.com/Vx71M7Xdln
— Wall St Engine (@wallstengine) November 9, 2026
The net loss was $132 million, or $0.44 a share. Analysts had looked for a $143 million loss.
The company held its full-year revenue forecast of $150 million to $200 million. It ended the quarter with about $3.2 billion in cash.
AST still expects to offer intermittent coverage in the U.S. and other markets by the end of the year. It also expects 45 BlueBird satellites in orbit by mid-2027.
The company aims to build six satellites a month by December. It has contracted launch partners for 100 satellites.
Last week, AST said it will build its own rocket, Backlift, using Firefly engines. The rocket is expected to be operational by late 2028.
About 35% of the float is sold short, roughly 10 times a typical stock, according to FactSet. The stock is still down about 70% from its May peak above $130.
After hours, ASTS slipped about 1.3% to $36.43 following the results.
The post AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) Stock Climbs 14% on Rakuten Japan Deal, Then Dips After Earnings appeared first on Blockonomi .
