Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. ASTS scored 16.3, MSI scored 60.9 — MSI leads.
Compare another set
ASTS
AST SpaceMobile, Inc.
Communication Equipment · Quality-Growth
16.3
$50.97 · $19.8B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
44.6
MSI leads
MSI
Motorola Solutions, Inc.
Communication Equipment · Quality-Growth
60.9
$444.18 · $73.5B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
Strongest balance sheetASTS1.25
Highest qualityMSI83 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
ASTS
stronger →← stronger
MSI
8
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
83
96
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
76
6
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
36
MSI is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
ASTS
MSI
-$1.6bF
FCF
$2.7bB
—
Rev
+10.3%B
1.25C
D/E
3.58D
—
PEG
1.97C+
—
P/E
35.0xB
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
ASTS
MSI
—
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
48% above
—
Growth the price impliesyr-1 FCF growth, fading to 4% · lower = less priced in
~17%/yr
—
1-yr DCF upside
-37%
—
5-yr DCF upside
-32%
—
10-yr DCF upside
-25%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
ASTS
Why this score
Diluting shareholders
MSI
Why this score
Raising its dividend
Durable high returns
The companies
ASTSAST SpaceMobile, Inc.
Communication Equipment · $50.97 · beta 2.71
Why now
Communication Equipment · market cap $19.8b. Down 62% from 52-week high of $133.86 — deep drawdown territory. 12 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $77.94 (implying +53% upside).
Moat
Higher-variance name — the moat signals on the quantitative card are modest, so the durability case rests on execution (turning current growth into durable earnings power) or an un-monetized asset (IP / network effects / first-mover position) rather than an entrenched competitive position.
Risk
Free cash flow is negative (-$1.6b) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk. Down 62% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. Beta 2.71 implies above-market volatility — position-size to the drawdowns this name will produce in a market correction, not to its bull-case return.
MSIMotorola Solutions, Inc.
Communication Equipment · $444.18 · beta 0.89
Why now
Communication Equipment · market cap $73.5b. 10% off the 52-week high of $494.85. Revenue growing +10%, comfortably above the S&P median. 11 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $526.91 (implying +19% upside).
Moat
Net margin 17% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 80% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 125% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash.
Risk
D/E 3.58 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Trailing P/E 35x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where ASTS and MSI diverge
On the headline score the gap is 44.6 points in favor of MSI. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
QualityASTS 8.1 · MSI 82.8MSI +74.7
ValueASTS 5.5 · MSI 36.0MSI +30.5
GrowthASTS 96.3 · MSI 75.9ASTS +20.4
Pillars run 0–100. Value is judged against each company's own sector, so a Value score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.
Common questions
Is MSI or ASTS the better stock?
MSI scores higher: MSI 60.9, ASTS 16.3 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
Where do MSI and ASTS differ most?
The widest gap is quality, where MSI leads by 75 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. Neither name sweeps: they trade the lead across the three pillars, so the comparison is a trade-off rather than one being better on every measure.
How are MSI and ASTS scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.