Viasat Inc. $VSAT Stake Boosted by Moody Aldrich Partners LLC

Key Points

• Moody Aldrich Partners increased its Viasat stake by 138.2% in the third quarter, owning 30,788 shares valued at approximately $2.17 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 86.05% of Viasat.
• Viasat reported quarterly EPS of $0.17, exceeding estimates of $0.10, but revenue of $1.16 billion fell short of expectations and declined 1.2% year over year. Analysts expect a full-year loss of $0.38 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains moderately positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $90.67 versus the reported share price of $78.26. However, recent insider stock sales and the company’s negative net margin remain potential concerns.

Moody Aldrich Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT - Free Report) by 138.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 30,788 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock after buying an additional 17,861 shares during the period. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC's holdings in Viasat were worth $2,167,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Viasat in the third quarter valued at approximately $399,000. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Viasat by 54.2% during the third quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,607 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $254,000 after acquiring an additional 1,268 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC raised its position in Viasat by 72.9% in the third quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 13,396 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $943,000 after acquiring an additional 5,647 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in Viasat in the third quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. raised its position in Viasat by 34.1% in the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 6,766 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $476,000 after acquiring an additional 1,722 shares in the last quarter. 86.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Viasat Stock Performance

NASDAQ VSAT opened at $78.26 on Thursday. Viasat Inc. has a 1-year low of $29.13 and a 1-year high of $93.03. The company has a market capitalization of $10.78 billion, a P/E ratio of -326.08 and a beta of 1.76. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $70.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 1.52.

Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The communications equipment provider reported $0.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.10 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $1.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.20 billion. Viasat had a positive return on equity of 1.44% and a negative net margin of 0.64%. Viasat's revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.17 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Viasat Inc. will post -0.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Viasat from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Morgan Stanley set a $95.00 price target on shares of Viasat in a report on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Viasat in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Viasat from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on shares of Viasat from $90.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $90.67.

Viasat News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Viasat this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Viasat, Space42 and Terrestar Solutions signed a memorandum of understanding to create an open, standards-based interoperability framework linking Terrestar’s planned Canadian CaStar low-Earth-orbit constellation with Space42’s Equatys shared infrastructure platform. The arrangement could broaden Viasat’s role in global D2D connectivity and advanced mobile-satellite services while supporting sovereign Canadian communications infrastructure. Terrestar Solutions joins with Equatys expanding shared satellite infrastructure
• Positive Sentiment: Investors purchased 9,946 Viasat call options, roughly 60% above typical call volume of 6,204 contracts. The unusually high activity indicates increased speculative or hedging interest in further upside, though options flow alone does not guarantee a sustained rally.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary suggested Viasat may be “turning the corner” after its recent advance, with the stock trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. However, the company remains challenged by modestly declining revenue, a negative net margin and expected full-year losses. Is Viasat Finally Turning the Corner?
• Negative Sentiment: Viasat’s chief financial officer sold 4,000 shares. While the sale may be routine and does not necessarily signal a change in business outlook, insider selling can weigh modestly on investor sentiment.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Benjamin Palmer sold 2,400 shares of Viasat stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.46, for a total transaction of $181,104.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 21,159 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,596,658.14. The trade was a 10.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Theresa Wise sold 2,500 shares of Viasat stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $84.69, for a total value of $211,725.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 11,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $931,590. This trade represents a 18.52% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 257,656 shares of company stock valued at $20,475,905. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Viasat Profile

Viasat, Inc is a communications technology company that provides satellite-based connectivity and related services to commercial, government and consumer customers. The company's offerings include high-speed broadband, satellite communications, network services and connectivity solutions designed for locations where terrestrial networks may be limited or unavailable.

Viasat serves the aviation, maritime, residential broadband, enterprise and government markets. Its services support in-flight internet for commercial and business aircraft, connectivity for ships and offshore operations, broadband access for homes and communities, and secure communications for government and defense customers.

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