My reputation may precede me, but I’m not the drunk in this story. In truth, this happened in the middle of my class this week.

If you’re not aware, I had to travel back to Frankfurt quickly to fill in for my colleague. That’s right, I just returned to Italy on Friday… and yet, here I am. So I’m in Germany for nearly two more weeks. Pam and Micah don’t mind; they’re coming for more tourism shenanigans on Friday. After all, it’s only an hour's flight from Turin or Milan to Frankfurt.

Today, we discussed stock ETFs. Honestly, I learned a bunch myself. For instance, I had forgotten that there was an ETF tracking Nancy Pelosi’s positions (NANC). Another student told the class about BIBL, the inspirational ETF. And yes, we covered the SPY and QQQ.

ETFs are great for several reasons, such as if you don’t have the time to analyze single stocks.

But I prefer taking on higher risk with single stocks, as that’s where the active, and sometimes lifestyle-changing, returns are made.

I’ve already bragged about my friend and colleague Ray Blanco and his stock-picking prowess. Well, listen to this story…

In the Classroom

Sitting in the front row of my classroom are a bunch of bright young professionals doing their best to succeed. I immensely enjoyed their company, but what they discussed pricked my ears.

I don’t usually hear conversations about single stocks, and certainly not about stocks I don’t think have hit the mainstream yet.

“The stock is ASTS. My friend says you’ve got to buy it.”

Huh? “My ASTS?” I was thinking.

If you’ve missed a few Rude editions, ASTS is the stock my friend, colleague, and retirement savior Ray Blanco picked a few months ago (and full disclosure, I own). Ray had been discussing recommending ASTS for a while and finally did so in his Catalyst Trader.

I bought it a few times, averaging $10.35 per share. Needless to say, it’s been a big winner.

ASTS shareholders are waiting for the launch of their “BlueBird” satellites this month. If it’s successful, I imagine the stock will jump considerably.

From Yahoo Finance:

The BlueBird satellites feature the largest-ever commercial communications arrays to be deployed in low Earth orbit, at a remarkable 693 square feet, a technological leap forward in AST SpaceMobile’s ability to deliver seamless cellular broadband connectivity to billions of mobile users worldwide.

Building on the success of its BlueWalker 3 satellite, AST SpaceMobile's first five commercial satellites will have a tenfold increase in processing capacity. This advancement sets the stage for delivering global space-based cellular broadband directly to everyday smartphones, starting with non-continuous coverage across the continental United States using over 5,600 cells on premium low-band spectrum.

That’s ASTS’s unique selling proposition: space-based cellular broadband directly to your smartphone. Think Starlink without the dish.

Disclosure: I own a Starlink dish and am utterly grateful to Elon Musk for inventing it. Thanks to Telecom Italia's incompetence, I couldn’t do my job in Italy without it.

However, having the power of the internet beamed directly from space to my phone would be even better, which is why I own ASTS shares.

Still, I didn’t think many knew about ASTS, so I was pleasantly surprised when I heard my students talk about it.

“Who told you about this stock?” I asked.

Now, here’s a funny story.

In the Bar

“Well, I was talking to a girl I know. She’s a bartender in Boston. And this guy is in her bar every day, drinking beer. He looks like a bum, dressing terribly. One day, she asks him what he’s doing in her bar all day. He says, ‘I trade stock.’ It turns out the guy is a great investor. And he told her, ‘You have to own this stock.’ So I’ve been looking at it ever since.”

Before you think, “My goodness, this is the equivalent of taxi cab drivers recommending stock, and I should dump it now,” I think there’s a better way of thinking about this.

ASTS is finally entering the mainstream consciousness. If this is the case—and I hope it is—you’ll see more retail and institutional buyers piling into the stock. Deutsche Bank’s equity analyst put a $63 price target on this stock. That means it’s got a long way to go.

The reason for the nosebleed-inducing target is that ASTS has signed agreements with strategic partners across the globe.

In his letter to ASTS shareholders, Abel Avellan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AST SpaceMobile, wrote this:

You’ll have a seamless experience with either carrier. You’ll simply connect to AST SpaceMobile’s network through your carrier, AT&T or Verizon, for reliable cellular service for a smooth and worry-free experience.

This collaboration highlights the effectiveness of collective action. By combining AST SpaceMobile’s innovative space-based network with the extensive terrestrial networks and expertise of both AT&T and Verizon, we are creating a solution that benefits everyone. Consumers gain unparalleled access to space-based cellular broadband, businesses can expand into previously unreachable regions, and first responders and rural communities will no longer be left behind in the digital age.

This is just the beginning. We remain dedicated to fostering similar partnerships with other mobile network operators, aiming to bridge the digital divide on a global scale. Through strategic agreements with AT&T and Verizon, along with Vodafone, Rakuten, Google, American Tower, Bell Canada, and more than 45 mobile network operators, we’ve established a strong foundation. These partnerships unite us with networks that serve more than 2.8 billion subscribers, propelling us closer to achieving this ambitious goal.

As my father would say, “They ain’t messin’ around.”

Wrap Up

When I teach, all sorts of great things happen. But the best of all is when I learn from my students. I'm grateful for their insights and the lively discussions they bring to the class.

Despite recent challenges, ASTS is still on the rise. And if their satellite launch is a success, the sky will no longer be the limit for our internet.