NEW YORK, March 1, 2026, 15:09 EST — The session wrapped up; markets now closed.
- AST SpaceMobile shares slumped on Friday, rounding out a turbulent week in the satellite-to-phone sector.
- Vodafone and AST’s European direct-to-device venture is now up and running, sharpening attention on rollout schedules.
- A quarterly business update is set for March 2, marking a potential catalyst for the share price.
AST SpaceMobile ended Friday’s session off 7.7% at $79.19, putting the stock on watch again as U.S. markets open Monday, with investors eyeing its March 2 quarterly update.
The clock is ticking for AST SpaceMobile, now jostling with rivals in the “direct-to-device” satellite race—regular smartphones, no extra hardware, linked straight through space. Investors are pressing for specifics: when will deployment ramp, and what’s the cash runway from here?
Ever since February’s financing and the debt maneuvers—moves that boost liquidity but threaten dilution—the stock’s had that question hovering overhead. Now, management gets another shot on the next call: either calm some nerves, or stir up more doubt.
Vodafone and AST’s Satellite Connect Europe JV is now up and running, Light Reading reported, with John Slamecka stepping in as chairman. The partnership is pitching wholesale satellite coverage for areas outside terrestrial reach, and ground stations are already in progress in Spain and the UK, according to the report.
Competition in direct-to-cell tech is heating up. Virgin Media O2 in the UK kicked off a smartphone satellite service this week, tapping SpaceX’s Starlink network—O2 boss Lutz Schuler described it to Reuters as a “pivotal moment” for mobile connectivity. Vodafone is on track with its own plans for satellite-to-mobile, working with AST SpaceMobile. Reuters
AST plans to host its quarterly business update call on Monday, March 2, starting at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. The company will field questions from both retail and institutional shareholders through a webcast posted to its investor site.
Initial purchasers picked up an extra $75 million of AST’s 2.25% convertible senior notes due 2036, according to a Feb. 20 filing, bumping the total outstanding to $1.075 billion. That same document put the potential share issuance on conversion at roughly 11.1 million, with customary adjustments in play.
In a separate filing, AST disclosed it had bought back $46.5 million of its 4.25% convertible notes due 2032, along with $250 million of its 2.375% convertible notes due the same year. The company used proceeds from registered direct equity offerings, each priced at $96.92 per share, to fund the repurchases.
AST is pushing further into the government sector. Last week, the company landed a Space Development Agency contract worth about $30 million. Chris Ivory, chief executive of AST SpaceMobile USA, called the win a sign that “validates AST SpaceMobile’s ability to rapidly operationalize commercial space capabilities for national security.” Business Wire
The risk story hasn’t changed: delays getting products out the door, cash burn running hotter than the team projects, or a funding round that surprises the market at the wrong moment. Meanwhile, rivals aren’t standing still — Starlink is already working with partners, and names like Iridium and Globalstar are right there in the investor mix.
Right now, traders are fixated on just one thing: Monday’s U.S. session, when the March 2 update lands. Investors will be zeroing in on any hint of changes to satellite schedules, developments with commercial partners, and a fresh look at the company’s cash runway.
