Hiroshi Mikitani and Rakuten Reduce AST SpaceMobile Stake via New Trading Plan

On April 16, 2026, Hiroshi Mikitani, Rakuten Group, Inc., and Rakuten Mobile, Inc. filed a Schedule 13D/A regarding their holdings in AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (ASTS). The filing reports that Mikitani, through Rakuten Mobile, beneficially owns 26,080,155 shares of Class A Common Stock, representing 8.9% of the class. This reflects a decrease in holdings following series of open-market sales. Specifically, between April 14 and April 16, 2026, the reporting persons sold a total of 4,940,000 shares at average prices ranging from $86.22 to $91.42 per share. These transactions were executed pursuant to a new trading plan entered into with BofA Securities on April 14, 2026. Under this plan, Rakuten Mobile intends to sell up to 15,510,077 shares, which constitutes approximately half of its total holdings. The filing also notes that Hiroshi Mikitani resigned from the Issuer's Board of Directors effective January 13, 2026. The reporting persons continue to be part of a stockholder group including Abel Avellan and Vodafone Ventures, but disclaim beneficial ownership of shares held by other group members.