Head-To-Head Contrast: AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) and Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT)

Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) and AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation and earnings.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

86.1% of Viasat shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 61.0% of AST SpaceMobile shares are held by institutional investors. 3.2% of Viasat shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 34.2% of AST SpaceMobile shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Viasat and AST SpaceMobile, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Viasat	0	5	4	0	2.44
AST SpaceMobile	0	3	5	0	2.63

Viasat presently has a consensus price target of $19.00, suggesting a potential upside of 16.49%. AST SpaceMobile has a consensus price target of $45.34, suggesting a potential downside of 1.16%. Given Viasat’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Viasat is more favorable than AST SpaceMobile.

Profitability

This table compares Viasat and AST SpaceMobile’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Viasat	-12.72%	-7.10%	-2.14%
AST SpaceMobile	-7,033.22%	-23.56%	-13.79%

Risk & Volatility

Viasat has a beta of 1.17, indicating that its share price is 17% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, AST SpaceMobile has a beta of 2.27, indicating that its share price is 127% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Viasat and AST SpaceMobile”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Viasat	$4.52 billion	0.47	-$574.96 million	($4.45)	-3.67
AST SpaceMobile	$4.42 million	3,284.91	-$300.08 million	($1.99)	-23.05

AST SpaceMobile has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Viasat. AST SpaceMobile is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Viasat, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

About Viasat

Viasat, Inc. provides broadband and communications products and services worldwide. The company's Satellite Services segment offers satellite-based fixed broadband services, including broadband internet access and voice over internet protocol services to consumers and businesses; in-flight entertainment and aviation software services to commercial airlines and private business jets; satellite-based connectivity services; mobile broadband services, including satellite-based internet services to energy offshore vessels, cruise ships, consumer ferries, and yachts; and energy services, which include ultra-secure solutions IP connectivity, bandwidth-optimized over-the-top applications, industrial internet-of-things big data enablement, and industry-leading machine learning analytics. Its Commercial Networks segment offers fixed broadband satellite communication systems comprising satellite network infrastructure and ground terminals; mobile broadband satellite communication systems; antenna systems for terrestrial and satellite applications, such as earth imaging, remote sensing, mobile satellite communication, Ka-band earth stations, and other multi-band antennas; and space systems design and satellite networking development systems. The company's Government Systems segment offers government mobile broadband products and services include mobile broadband modems, and terminals and network access control systems; mesh and hub-and-spoke satellite networking systems; secure networking, cybersecurity, and information assurance products; and tactical data link solutions. It designs and development of satellite and ground communications systems and network function virtualization, as well as ground-based network subsystems, as well as space system design and development products and services include architectures for GEO, MEO, LEO satellites, and other satellite platforms. The company was incorporated in 1986 and is headquartered in Carlsbad, California.

About AST SpaceMobile

AST SpaceMobile, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops and provides access to a space-based cellular broadband network for smartphones in the United States. Its SpaceMobile service provides cellular broadband services to end-users who are out of terrestrial cellular coverage. The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Midland, Texas.