Satellite Stock Needs a Post-Earnings Pop to Stop the Slide

Core Viewpoint - AST SpaceMobile Inc (NASDAQ:ASTS) is preparing for its fourth-quarter report, with analysts predicting a loss of $0.18 to $0.20 on revenue of $40.69 million, while the stock has seen a recent increase of 2% to $84 [1]. Group 1: Stock Performance and Historical Trends - Historically, ASTS has finished higher after four of its last eight reports, averaging a move of 22%, with a significant 68% increase since May 2024 [2]. - Investors are expecting a smaller-than-usual move of 15.3% for the upcoming trading session [2]. - The stock has a year-over-year increase of 208%, but has decreased by 35% from its record high of $129.89 on January 30 [2]. Group 2: Short Selling and Market Sentiment - Short interest in ASTS has risen by 8.9% in the last two reporting periods, now comprising 28% of the available float [4]. - An optimistic report could position ASTS as a candidate for a short squeeze in the near future [4]. Group 3: Options Market Activity - Traders in the options market are favoring call options, with a call/put volume ratio of 2.07, which is higher than 75% of all other annual readings [5]. - The stock's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.57 is in the 1st percentile of its annual range, indicating a strong preference for calls among short-term option players over the past year [6].