To validate exactly what I had said about the difficulty of determining the "unlock" - imagine my surprise when I woke up to see $ASTS up 5-10%. I was already prepared to be "pissed" at the stock being up 25-30% because I thought the stock deserved to be a lot more
Successful launch should have been routine, but for a stock where so much sentiment is tied up in BW-3, anything that deviated from plan would have been taken out of context (never mind that $ASTS accrued all the IP and learning value from getting BW-3 through testing)
In reality, the probability of a successful launch was ~100%, so there was not that much risk into launch, as dramatic as a launch is. I know I was a nervous wreck. Anyone who didn't have the finale of Koyaanisqatsi somewhere in their mind is lying en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koyaanisq…
I personally think Efficient Market Hypothesis is a load of sh~t, but here we are. The market apparently priced launch correctly
So we continue to search for the elusive 'unlock' for $ASTS, which is the reason to own the stock now instead of waiting until everything is obvious. I wonder whether we get a Biotech-type move ever, or if it's a slow steady ascent
First things first, it's clear that the $ASTS team measures twice and cut once. I'm not concerned at all about unfurling because I invested behind a team, not behind a piece of metal. #MeetTheTeam is exceptional and this is like watching the birth of a Qualcomm
When it comes to stocks, I believe you have to identify 'the obvious' and then move at least one click earlier. It's about the inflection of the 2nd derivative. If unfurling is the inflecting 2nd derivative, then you have to buy now in order to capture the big re-value
However, $ASTS stock might not work until we have actual monetization and/or demonstrate Bluebirds can be manufactured at scale. It could easily be the case that efficient market theory tells us "yeah dummy, the tech obviously works"...but the market doubts something else
So why own $ASTS now? You don't have to...but, re-valuation events occur suddenly and unexpectedly earlier than you think. Most return is compressed into short times. Are you sure you know when the unlock is? Are you sure you understand the game theory of how others will act?
What I "worry about," especially after $TMUS / SpaceX / $AAPL / $GSAT is a sudden change in Wall Street understanding about the trend. $TSLA was left for dead forever because Wall Street doubted the TAM or customer preferences
Imagine an initiation by $MS that shows the unbelievable TAM and early market lead by $ASTS? Then imagine how stupid you'd feel if you had been trying to time things perfectly. Imagine Ron Baron pitches $ASTS at Ira Sohn...duh, what an obvious stock!
Ask yourself, would you really establish your position on a +30% break? Would you hesitate and pray for a pull back? Would it come? Returns streams can be compressed and unpredictable. Be careful not to outsmart yourself
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Cardinals select a new supreme constellation, FCC filings give us a lot of potential upside surprises, and more on this week's Weekly
🚀Launch Update
The launch guidance tightens up from H2 2025 - 1H 2026.
The story is now for cash flow ramp expectations. The April–May 2025 FCC/NTIA volley shows AST SpaceMobile has cleared the two riskiest technical hurdles—orbital-debris compliance and 36 GHz passive-sensor protection—while quietly quadrupling its target constellation. In short, “36 GHz passive-sensor protection” refers to proving that AST’s Q/V-band feeder links will not wash out sensitive climate-monitoring instruments. The filings show AST achieves this with comfortable technical margin, eliminating a major regulatory uncertainty without sacrificing link budget or launch schedule.
FCC Chair Carr and Senator Ted Cruz drop by to congratulate Abel, Golden Dome kicks off, 5G Fund expectations rise, ISRO Launch soon, and much more on this week's Weekly...
🎌Rakuten Meeting
CEO Hiroshi Mikitani told a briefing Wednesday that Rakuten would provide voice, video, text and "other" services when it starts in the fourth quarter of 2026.
While Japan has dense mobile coverage in built-up areas, its difficult terrain and numerous offshore islands mean most carriers cover only about 70% of the total territory.
Seeing this filing means the operator (through the U.S. administration) has taken an early and essential regulatory step. The ITU framework sets the stage for official recognition of the satellite’s frequency usage and ensures no uncoordinated interference emerges
The world is over, but $ASTS continues to be in control of its destiny with nuanced details in regulatory filings showing that a large base of government revenue appears to be cooking. That, and more, on this week's Weekly...
👶Beta Boys
Beta is back. Wholesale liquidations of the market is always super fun, but it gives you a second chance. A great stock won't ever go back or rewind itself unless a) the market pukes or b) something bad happens.
Analogues:
October 1987 saw an enormous single‑day collapse (“Black Monday”). One month later, the market was roughly flat to slightly down (depending on the exact start/end points). November 2008 saw a vigorous +18 % rebound in the month after the local low, even though the global financial crisis continued well into 2009. March 2020 bottomed on March 23; the rebound one month later was approximately +25 %, reflecting the swift policy response and rapid market snapback.
Son, are we winning? Apparently, but last week it didn't feel like it. Ligado got signed, the future is bright but macro and FUD separate the men from the boys...that, and more on this week's Weekly...
The DA is signed. The implications of this are enormous. ASTS is ever-evolving and capitalizing on opportunities to maximize the value of their innovative technology