ASTS vs. FFIV: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ASTS and FFIV, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
ASTS’s market capitalization stands at 15.96 billion USD, while FFIV’s is 17.24 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
ASTS’s beta of 2.02 points to significantly higher volatility compared to FFIV (beta: 1.01), suggesting ASTS has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.
| Symbol | ASTS | FFIV |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AST SpaceMobile, Inc. | F5, Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Technology | Technology |
| Industry | Communication Equipment | Software - Infrastructure |
| CEO | Abel Avellan | Francois Locoh-Donou |
| Price | 45.6 USD | 300.13 USD |
| Market Cap | 15.96 billion USD | 17.24 billion USD |
| Beta | 2.02 | 1.01 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NASDAQ |
| IPO Date | November 1, 2019 | June 4, 1999 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ASTS and FFIV by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
ASTS
-76.72%
Communication Equipment Industry
- Max
- 30.07%
- Q3
- 8.07%
- Median
- 1.84%
- Q1
- -11.93%
- Min
- -31.65%
ASTS has a negative Return on Equity of -76.72%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.
FFIV
19.59%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 80.61%
- Q3
- 29.97%
- Median
- 2.84%
- Q1
- -8.35%
- Min
- -56.26%
FFIV’s Return on Equity of 19.59% is on par with the norm for the Software - Infrastructure industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Return on Invested Capital
ASTS
-19.41%
Communication Equipment Industry
- Max
- 11.59%
- Q3
- 6.61%
- Median
- 2.97%
- Q1
- -2.58%
- Min
- -13.18%
ASTS has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -19.41%. This indicates that its operations are failing to generate a profit on the total capital invested, signaling significant inefficiency or value destruction.
FFIV
13.48%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 39.31%
- Q3
- 11.97%
- Median
- 1.67%
- Q1
- -7.10%
- Min
- -34.29%
In the upper quartile for the Software - Infrastructure industry, FFIV’s Return on Invested Capital of 13.48% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
Net Profit Margin
ASTS
-7,033.20%
Communication Equipment Industry
- Max
- 23.65%
- Q3
- 9.21%
- Median
- 2.46%
- Q1
- -8.56%
- Min
- -29.87%
ASTS has a negative Net Profit Margin of -7,033.20%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.
FFIV
21.14%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 46.46%
- Q3
- 14.65%
- Median
- 2.66%
- Q1
- -7.70%
- Min
- -35.45%
A Net Profit Margin of 21.14% places FFIV in the upper quartile for the Software - Infrastructure industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin
ASTS
-5,397.45%
Communication Equipment Industry
- Max
- 30.72%
- Q3
- 11.64%
- Median
- 5.79%
- Q1
- -2.28%
- Min
- -18.20%
ASTS has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -5,397.45%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.
FFIV
24.43%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 48.51%
- Q3
- 16.56%
- Median
- 4.48%
- Q1
- -6.43%
- Min
- -40.18%
An Operating Profit Margin of 24.43% places FFIV in the upper quartile for the Software - Infrastructure industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ASTS | FFIV |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | -76.72% | 19.59% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | -23.81% | 10.52% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | -19.41% | 13.48% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | -7033.20% | 21.14% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | -5397.45% | 24.43% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | -486.80% | 80.90% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ASTS
10.62
Communication Equipment Industry
- Max
- 3.40
- Q3
- 2.59
- Median
- 1.62
- Q1
- 1.32
- Min
- 0.86
ASTS’s Current Ratio of 10.62 is exceptionally high, placing it well outside the typical range for the Communication Equipment industry. This indicates a very strong liquidity position, though such a high ratio may also suggest that the company is not using its assets efficiently to generate profits.
FFIV
1.53
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 3.80
- Q3
- 2.25
- Median
- 1.51
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.23
FFIV’s Current Ratio of 1.53 aligns with the median group of the Software - Infrastructure industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
ASTS
0.02
Communication Equipment Industry
- Max
- 1.82
- Q3
- 1.00
- Median
- 0.53
- Q1
- 0.20
- Min
- 0.02
Falling into the lower quartile for the Communication Equipment industry, ASTS’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.02 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
FFIV
0.07
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 2.56
- Q3
- 1.12
- Median
- 0.33
- Q1
- 0.05
- Min
- 0.00
FFIV’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.07 is typical for the Software - Infrastructure industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio
ASTS
-52.83
Communication Equipment Industry
- Max
- 16.12
- Q3
- 9.22
- Median
- 2.52
- Q1
- -0.75
- Min
- -12.07
ASTS has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -52.83. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.
FFIV
--
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 32.21
- Q3
- 5.24
- Median
- 0.95
- Q1
- -17.99
- Min
- -50.82
Interest Coverage Ratio data for FFIV is currently unavailable.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ASTS | FFIV |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 10.62 | 1.53 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 10.62 | 1.49 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.02 | 0.07 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.01 | 0.04 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 1.82 | -1.24 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | -52.83 | -- |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ASTS and FFIV. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
ASTS
0.00%
Communication Equipment Industry
- Max
- 4.72%
- Q3
- 0.38%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ASTS currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
FFIV
0.00%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 4.07%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FFIV currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
Dividend Payout Ratio
ASTS
0.00%
Communication Equipment Industry
- Max
- 91.96%
- Q3
- 26.44%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ASTS has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
FFIV
0.00%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 48.68%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FFIV has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ASTS | FFIV |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ASTS
-31.32
Communication Equipment Industry
- Max
- 44.37
- Q3
- 41.98
- Median
- 30.61
- Q1
- 23.44
- Min
- 2.14
ASTS has a negative P/E Ratio of -31.32. This occurs when a company has negative earnings (a net loss), making the ratio unsuitable for valuation analysis.
FFIV
27.96
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 107.77
- Q3
- 54.40
- Median
- 28.10
- Q1
- 18.03
- Min
- 5.32
FFIV’s P/E Ratio of 27.96 is within the middle range for the Software - Infrastructure industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
ASTS
15.35
Communication Equipment Industry
- Max
- 15.97
- Q3
- 6.99
- Median
- 2.78
- Q1
- 0.66
- Min
- 0.05
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Communication Equipment industry.
FFIV
4.32
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 8.12
- Q3
- 3.94
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 0.94
- Min
- 0.01
A Forward PEG Ratio of 4.32 places FFIV in the upper quartile for the Software - Infrastructure industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
ASTS
5,043.28
Communication Equipment Industry
- Max
- 6.38
- Q3
- 3.88
- Median
- 2.17
- Q1
- 1.15
- Min
- 0.37
With a P/S Ratio of 5,043.28, ASTS trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Communication Equipment industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
FFIV
5.86
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 18.25
- Q3
- 9.05
- Median
- 4.77
- Q1
- 2.30
- Min
- 0.11
FFIV’s P/S Ratio of 5.86 aligns with the market consensus for the Software - Infrastructure industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio
ASTS
13.32
Communication Equipment Industry
- Max
- 14.42
- Q3
- 7.01
- Median
- 3.09
- Q1
- 1.38
- Min
- 0.41
ASTS’s P/B Ratio of 13.32 is in the upper tier for the Communication Equipment industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
FFIV
5.24
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 19.94
- Q3
- 10.91
- Median
- 6.33
- Q1
- 2.95
- Min
- 0.51
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Software - Infrastructure industry.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ASTS | FFIV |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | -31.32 | 27.96 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 15.35 | 4.32 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 5043.28 | 5.86 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 13.32 | 5.24 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | -64.66 | 20.66 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | -47.80 | 19.63 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 4858.60 | 5.52 |