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ASTS vs. ZS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated

Here’s a clear look at ASTS and ZS, comparing key factors like performance, valuation metrics, dividends, and financial strength. It’s built for investors or anyone curious to see how these two stocks match up.

Company Overview

ZS stands out with 38.48 billion USD in market value—about 4.93× ASTS’s market cap of 7.81 billion USD.

ASTS’s beta of 2.04 points to much larger expected swings compared to ZS’s calmer 1.14, suggesting both higher upside and downside potential.

SymbolASTSZS
Company NameAST SpaceMobile, Inc.Zscaler, Inc.
CountryUSUS
SectorTechnologyTechnology
IndustryCommunication EquipmentSoftware - Infrastructure
CEOMr. Abel AvellanMr. Jagtar Singh Chaudhry
Price23.83 USD248.72 USD
Market Cap7.81 billion USD38.48 billion USD
Beta2.041.14
ExchangeNASDAQNASDAQ
IPO DateNovember 1, 2019March 16, 2018
ADRNoNo

Performance Comparison

This chart compares the performance of ASTS and ZS over the past year by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each (starting one year ago).

Hover over the lines to see the investment’s value and total return (%) at specific dates.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

Valuation Metrics Comparison

The section examines key financial ratios to assess the valuation of ASTS and ZS based on earnings, cash flow, sales, and book value. Pay attention to the following notable points where extreme values stand out.

  • Neither ASTS nor ZS turned a profit—both carry negative P/E ratios of -16.37 and -2461.29, underscoring continued losses that pressure their valuations.
  • ZS shows a negative forward PEG of -183.93, signaling expected earnings contraction, while ASTS at 8.02 maintains analysts’ projections for stable or improved profits.
  • ASTS has a negative Price-to-Free Cash Flow ratio of -21.60, signaling it consumed more cash than it produced over the last year—an important liquidity warning. In contrast, ZS (P/FCF 52.41) indicates positive free cash flow generation.
SymbolASTSZS
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)-16.37-2461.29
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)8.02-183.93
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)1684.9715.89
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)6.9623.78
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)-21.6052.41
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)-15.01357.47
EV-to-Sales (TTM)1500.2915.67
EV-to-Free Cash Flow (TTM)-19.2451.71

Dividend Comparison

Neither ASTS nor ZS currently pays a dividend yield; this often indicates they are reinvesting earnings for growth, prioritizing long-term expansion over immediate cash returns to shareholders.

SymbolASTSZS
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%0.00%

Financial Strength Metrics Comparison

This section dives into the financial resilience of ASTS and ZS, spotlighting key metrics like liquidity, leverage, and debt coverage. Check out the standout observations below where notable differences or extremes pop up.

  • ASTS meets its interest obligations (ratio 39.54). In stark contrast, ZS’s negative ratio (-8.67) means its operating earnings (EBIT) don't cover basic operations, let alone interest, signaling serious financial trouble.
SymbolASTSZS
Current Ratio (TTM)10.621.20
Quick Ratio (TTM)10.621.20
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)0.020.77
Debt-to-Assets Ratio (TTM)0.010.25
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)39.54-8.67