LIVE
PL
Planet Labs PBC · Technology
$28.23
-32.12% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
ASTS
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. · Technology
$80.66
-8.44% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
PL
2
ASTS
2
Comparison scoreboard
MIXED SETUPAI Score
PL 48.2
ASTS ✓58.5
1Y Return
PL ✓+452.45%
ASTS +81.87%
Fwd P/E
PL 8477.48
ASTS ✓-393.08
Target Up.
PL ✓+40.98%
ASTS +1.00%
Op. Margin
PL N/A
ASTS N/A
Metrics last refreshed: 6/22/2026
Quick take
PL vs ASTS Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Planet Labs and AST SpaceMobile are both space technology companies but at very different stages of commercialization. Planet Labs has proven commercial revenue from earth observation with government and commercial customers; AST SpaceMobile is a pre-revenue-scale space cellular network with transformational potential but significant technology, execution, and capital risk.
Planet Labs is the more de-risked space investment with proven recurring revenue; AST SpaceMobile is the higher-risk, higher-reward bet on direct-to-device cellular from space — investors must assess their appetite for binary technology risk.
Live analysis · updated 6/22/2026
PL and ASTS are closely matched — they split the tracked metrics evenly. PL has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+452.45% vs +81.87%), though ASTS trades at the lower forward P/E (-393.08x vs 8477.48x). Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for PL (+40.98%) than for ASTS (+1.00%).
Normalized 1Y performance
PL
ASTS
Recent returns
PL
ASTS
Analyst price targets & sentiment
PL · 10 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (2.0/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$22.00
analyst high$53.00
analyst mean$39.80
current price$28.23
+41.0% upside to analyst mean
ASTS · 9 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Hold (2.8/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$41.20
analyst high$108.00
analyst mean$81.47
current price$80.66
+1.0% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
PL may suit investors who:
- →want proven commercial earth observation recurring revenue from government and enterprise customers
- →value daily global satellite imagery as a unique data asset with growing analytics applications
- →prefer a further-along commercialization stage with real ARR growth
- →are comfortable with cash burn while waiting for the path to EBITDA profitability
ASTS may suit investors who:
- →believe direct-to-device cellular from space is a transformational market displacing terrestrial gaps
- →value major carrier partnerships as a distribution shortcut if the technology proves viable
- →are comfortable with high technology, capital, and execution risk for potentially massive upside
- →want exposure to a 'moonshot' space connectivity play at an early commercialization stage
Performance & AI score
| Metric | PL | ASTS |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 48.2 | 58.5 |
| AI rank | #570 | #190 |
| Latest close | $28.23 | $80.66 |
| 1M return | -32.12% | -8.44% |
| 6M return | +71.40% | +30.39% |
| 1Y return | +452.45% | +81.87% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | PL | ASTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $55.24K (+452.4%) started 2025-06-18 | $18.19K (+81.9%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $28.57K (+185.7%) started 2021-06-18 | $76.67K (+666.7%) started 2021-06-18 |
| 10Y ago | $28.52K (+185.2%) started 2021-04-26 | $82.56K (+725.6%) started 2019-11-01 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | PL | ASTS |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $10.06B | $31.31B |
| Trailing P/E | N/A | N/A |
| Forward P/E | 8477.48 | -393.08 |
| Price/Sales | 29.98 | 368.59 |
| EV/Revenue | 29.25 | 290.11 |
| Analyst target | $39.80 | $81.47 |
| Target upside | +40.98% | +1.00% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | PL | ASTS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 42.10% | 1952.20% |
| Earnings growth | N/A | N/A |
| EPS growth | N/A | N/A |
| FCF margin | +25.28% | -1663.33% |
| Operating margin | N/A | N/A |
| Profit margin | -111.17% | 0.00% |
| ROIC proxy | -83.98% | -37.75% |
| Return on equity | -83.98% | -37.75% |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Beta | 2.00 | 2.63 |
| Debt/equity | 109.99 | 112.42 |
| Current ratio | 2.81 | 18.47 |
| Quick ratio | 2.62 | 17.91 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
PL max drawdown45.12%
ASTS max drawdown47.69%
PL max wkly drop37.00%
ASTS max wkly drop25.44%
5Y risk snapshot
PL max drawdown85.73%
ASTS max drawdown85.57%
PL max wkly drop41.06%
ASTS max wkly drop33.07%
10Y risk snapshot
PL max drawdown85.73%
ASTS max drawdown91.07%
PL max wkly drop41.06%
ASTS max wkly drop33.07%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | PL | ASTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +452.45% | +81.87% |
| CAGR | +453.09% | +81.95% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 2.11 | 1.05 | |
| Max drawdown | 45.12% | 47.69% | |
| Max daily drop | 25.98% | 15.53% | |
| Max wkly drop | 37.00% | 25.44% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +185.73% | +666.73% |
| CAGR | +23.37% | +50.30% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.60 | 0.84 | |
| Max drawdown | 85.73% | 85.57% | |
| Max daily drop | 30.41% | 27.16% | |
| Max wkly drop | 41.06% | 33.07% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +185.15% | +725.59% |
| CAGR | +22.59% | +37.50% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.59 | 0.74 | |
| Max drawdown | 85.73% | 91.07% | |
| Max daily drop | 30.41% | 27.16% | |
| Max wkly drop | 41.06% | 33.07% |
Business comparison
| Category | PL | ASTS |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Planet Labs PBC | AST SpaceMobile, Inc. |
| Sector | Technology | Technology |
| Industry | N/A | N/A |
| Core business | Planet Labs operates the world's largest commercial earth observation satellite constellation — over 200 satellites providing daily imaging of the entire Earth's landmass. Customers include government agencies (NRO, USAF, NGA), commercial agriculture (crop monitoring), insurance, energy, and environmental sectors. Revenue is primarily recurring subscription-based, with customers paying for ongoing satellite data access rather than one-time purchases. | AST SpaceMobile is building a space-based cellular broadband network — large satellites in low Earth orbit that connect directly to standard smartphones without specialized equipment. Partnerships with AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, and other carriers are central to its go-to-market strategy. Commercial operations have begun with initial BlueBird satellites, though full global service requires hundreds more satellite deployments. |
| Investor focus | Investors track annual recurring revenue (ARR), net revenue retention, the government contract pipeline (especially US defense and intelligence agencies), and the path to adjusted EBITDA profitability. | Investors track BlueBird satellite performance, commercial carrier contract progress and minimum revenue guarantees, the satellite manufacturing and launch timeline, and the balance sheet's ability to fund the constellation build-out. |
PL strengths
- →Largest commercial earth observation constellation providing daily global imagery at no comparable scale
- →Government contracts with defense and intelligence agencies provide high-quality recurring revenue
- →Data analytics platform adds value-add AI insights on top of raw satellite imagery
ASTS strengths
- →Direct-to-device cellular connectivity via space is a transformational technology if it works at scale
- →Major carrier partnerships (AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone) provide distribution without AST needing retail infrastructure
- →Massive addressable market — billions of mobile users in areas with poor terrestrial coverage
Risks to watch — PL
- →Persistent cash burn requiring ongoing capital raises diluting existing shareholders
- →Competition from Maxar (now Maxar Intelligence), BlackSky, and other earth observation companies
- →Government budget cycles and security clearance requirements slow contract expansion
Risks to watch — ASTS
- →Technology is unproven at scale — initial BlueBird satellite performance is early data
- →Capital requirements to build the full constellation are enormous
- →Competition from SpaceX Starlink direct-to-cellular and Amazon's Project Kuiper
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