New York, Feb 14, 2026, 12:47 ET — Market closed.
- AST SpaceMobile slid hard on Thursday after unveiling a big convertible-debt financing package.
- U.S. defense primes ended Friday higher as Treasury yields eased after cooler inflation data.
- U.S. stock markets are shut on Monday for Washington’s Birthday (Presidents Day).
AST SpaceMobile shares steadied at the end of a choppy week after a steep Thursday selloff tied to a fresh financing plan, keeping U.S. space stocks in focus ahead of a long weekend. (MarketWatch)
The timing matters. U.S. stock markets are closed on Monday, leaving investors to digest new funding moves and rate signals before trading resumes on Tuesday. (New York Stock Exchange)
Space companies often live and die by access to capital, and the latest move landed as investors recalibrated risk appetite after inflation data and big swings in growth shares. (Reuters)
AST SpaceMobile fell 15.17% on Thursday to close at $82.22, then edged up 0.35% on Friday to $82.51, according to Yahoo Finance data. (Yahoo Finance)
The company said it priced $1.0 billion of 2.250% convertible senior notes due 2036 — debt that investors can later swap into shares — with an initial conversion price of about $116.30 a share. It also outlined separate stock sales tied to repurchases of existing convertible notes. (Business Wire)
A big part of the pushback is dilution and trading “overhang” risk: new paper can draw hedge activity, while stock-linked financing can keep pressure on the shares when volumes spike.
The pullback rippled through the space complex on Thursday, with the Procure Space ETF down and investors marking down other names tied to launch and satellite supply chains. (Barron’s)
Defense contractors looked steadier by comparison. Lockheed Martin rose 2.3% to $652.58 on Friday, Northrop Grumman added 1.1% to $702.57, and General Dynamics climbed 2.0% to $347.64, while RTX slipped 0.5% to $200.06. Boeing gained 1.5% to $242.96.
Those moves came as Treasury yields fell after cooler-than-expected January U.S. inflation data, a backdrop that has tended to support defense shares while investors rotate away from higher-risk growth pockets. (Reuters)
Still, the downside case for space names is plain: funding packages can become self-reinforcing if investors expect more dilution, and any slip in launch timelines or commercial uptake can force another trip to the capital markets. (Nasdaq)
What traders watch next is Tuesday’s reopening after the holiday, settlement steps tied to AST’s financing package in the coming week, and late-February launch timing for its next satellite mission that investors are already treating as a near-term catalyst. (Sifma)
