AST SpaceMobile Insiders Are Buying: $619K in Open-Market Purchases, Plus What Options Traders Are Doing
ASTS: calls took 54% of options premium; unusual trades put $23.9M into calls and $17.9M into puts; insiders bought $619K of stock. Here's what the data says.
ASTSAST SpaceMobile Inc. Cl A$56.93-6.13%at publication · view live →AST SpaceMobile Inc. Cl A (ASTS) fell 6.1% to $56.93 in the latest session, on volume 1.8× its daily average. The latest catalyst in the headlines: AST SpaceMobile Falls 6% as SpaceX Spectrum Deal Closes Off Low-Band Option; Rocket Lab and Planet Labs Slip (24/7 Wall St.). ASTS also ranks #1 among the most-discussed stocks on social media, with 53 mentions in the past 24 hours.
Headlines tell you what happened. The money tells you what traders and insiders are doing about it. Below, we run ASTS through the GTA Terminal (the options-flow, insider, institutional and congressional trackers our Pro members use) to see what's happening beneath the surface.
What the options market is saying
Options traders exchanged 272,231 calls and 133,216 puts on ASTS, a put/call volume ratio of 0.49. In dollar terms, about $96.7M of premium went into calls versus $81.1M into puts (54% call-side): a fairly balanced market without a decisive directional tilt.
Open interest, the positions still on the books, shows a put/call ratio of 0.52 (712,303 call contracts vs. 368,539 puts outstanding), so the existing book is tilted toward calls.
The heaviest activity clustered in the Jan 15, 2027 expiration, where $33.1M of premium changed hands (38% in calls).
Several contracts traded more volume than their existing open interest, a sign of new positions being opened rather than old ones being closed:
- $50 puts expiring Jan 15, 2027: 17,295 contracts vs. 5,844 open interest, about $13.2M in premium (out of the money)
- $55 calls expiring Nov 20: 11,940 contracts vs. 4,162 open interest, about $5.3M in premium (in the money)
- $50 calls expiring Oct 16: 15,429 contracts vs. 1,023 open interest, about $4.1M in premium (in the money)
- $60 calls expiring Nov 20: 10,550 contracts vs. 3,343 open interest, about $3.3M in premium (out of the money)
For the nearest expiration (Oct 16), max pain, the strike where the most option holders would lose money, sits at $64, 12.4% above the current price.
Biggest contracts by premium
| Contract | Volume | Open int. | Last | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50 Put · Jan 15, 2027 | 17,295 | 5,844 | $7.62 | $13.2M |
| $105 Put · Dec 15, 2028 | 1,025 | 3,933 | $62.60 | $6.4M |
| $65 Put · Nov 20 | 3,373 | 10,227 | $16.61 | $5.6M |
| $55 Call · Nov 20 | 11,940 | 4,162 | $4.40 | $5.3M |
| $50 Call · Oct 16 | 15,429 | 1,023 | $2.66 | $4.1M |
| $60 Call · Nov 20 | 10,550 | 3,343 | $3.10 | $3.3M |
Options data: Nasdaq option chains, end-of-day volume and open interest for the session of Oct 8, 2026. Premium = volume × last price × 100.
What insiders are doing
Company insiders made 1 open-market purchase worth $619K over the past six months. The largest: Adriana Cisneros (Director) bought 10,822 shares worth $619K on Aug 31.
On the other side, insiders reported 2 sales totaling $3.1M.
| Insider | Role | Date | Type | Shares | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huiwen Yao | Chief Technology Officer | Sep 16 | Sell | 40,000 | $2.4M |
| Shanti B. Gupta | Chief Operating Officer | Sep 16 | Sell | 12,000 | $707K |
| Adriana Cisneros | Director | Aug 31 | Buy | 10,822 | $619K |
Source: SEC Form 4 filings, open-market purchases (code P) and sales (code S).
Institutions and superinvestors
Institutions hold 65.5% of ASTS's shares across 876 funds and money managers. In the latest 13F quarter, 556 holders added to their positions (38.47M shares) while 247 trimmed (29.06M shares). 175 opened brand-new positions and 107 sold out completely.
Largest holders
| Holder | Shares | Change | % of shares | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Group Inc | 21.49M | 1.57M | 7.16% | $1.1B |
| Rakuten Group, Inc. | 15.51M | -15.51M | 5.17% | $790.5M |
| Blackrock, Inc. | 15.27M | 756,247 | 5.09% | $778.4M |
| Vanguard Portfolio Management Llc | 13.33M | 2.29M | 4.44% | $679.4M |
| Vanguard Capital Management Llc | 12.52M | 1.03M | 4.17% | $637.8M |
| Alphabet Inc. | 8.94M | — | 2.98% | $455.8M |
Source: SEC 13F filings via Nasdaq; superinvestor portfolios from each fund's latest 13F.
Price action and key levels
ASTS is -14.9% over the past month, -24.6% over three months and -46.3% over six. It trades 18.9% below its 50-day average of $62.85, and sits 9% of the way through its 52-week range ($49.31 to $133.86). Wall Street's average one-year price target of $80.00 implies +40.5% from here.
The bottom line
| Signal | Reading | Lean |
|---|---|---|
| Options flow | 54% of premium in calls · P/C 0.49 | Neutral |
| Insider trading (6 mo) | $619K bought · $3.1M sold | Neutral |
| Institutions (13F) | 1.32 shares added per share sold | Bullish |
| Trend | Below 50-day avg · 3-mo -24.6% | Bearish |
Of the 4 GTA signals above, 1 lean bullish and 1 lean bearish, so the data on ASTS are mixed right now. Signals like these shift quickly around earnings, news and expirations, which is why our members track them live rather than once a week.
This article was produced by the GTA Research Desk from GTA Terminal data as of Oct 11, 2026 2:14 AM ET. It is for information and education only and is not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Global Traders Academy may hold positions in the securities mentioned.
Get stories like this in your inbox
The market's biggest stories each morning, plus what options traders, insiders and Congress are doing with their money. Free.