Is AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) The Next SanDisk (SNDK)?

Is AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) The Next SanDisk (SNDK)? Fahad Saleem Thu, July 2, 2026 at 4:34 PM GMT+2 2 min read ASTS SNDK SPCX We just covered The Next SanDisk: 9 Potential Breakout AI Stocks You Shouldn't Miss . AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) ranks #1 (see The Next SanDisk: 5 Potential Breakout AI Stocks You Shouldn't Miss ).

Number of Hedge Fund Investors:   39 AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) is frequently mentioned on Reddit by investors speculating about which stock could become the next SanDisk. Redditors believe ASTS can break out because the company is positioned at an inflection point where execution drives a paradigm shift. After the SpaceX IPO, investor attention on the entire space sector is skyrocketing, and ASTS will be the only pure-play D2D satellite service story in front of retail and institutional eyes.

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) sells space-based 4G/5G cellular broadband connectivity delivered directly to mobile phones without any hardware upgrades. Its customers are rural Americans stuck with sub-7 MBPS internet (2. 6% of the US population willing to pay premium pricing), mobile network operators who've already signed partnerships with the company, and increasingly, the US government.

Defense revenue is the hidden story the stock's bulls point to. Management emphasized in their recent conference call that defense will be a major contributor to 2026 revenue, and they've explicitly guided that the US government alone represents a $500 million revenue stream in 2027 alone—with roughly half of the company's total projected $1 billion 2027 opportunity coming from government contracts. AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) is already conducting tests for the Space Development Agency on radiolocation capabilities, working on 10 different use cases spanning both communications and non-communications applications for national defense.

Crossroads Capital stated the following regarding AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) in its  Q1 2026 investor letter : "AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS): Q1 picked up exactly where Q4 left off.

The company's transition from R&D-stage startup to operational scaleup, which we described last quarter, went from "underway" to "unmistakable" over the course of the last three months. There was one setback, as BB7 was placed in the wrong orbit by the .... " ( Click Here to Read the Letter in Detail ) .

While we acknowledge the potential of ASTS as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock . READ NEXT: 33 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and Cathie Wood 2026 Portfolio: 10 Best Stocks to Buy .

Disclosure: None. Follow Insider Monkey on Google News .