Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Short interest in Viasat Inc. decreased by **30.3%**, totaling 17.21 million shares as of August 15th, down from 24.69 million shares at the end of July.
• Several analysts have assigned a **"buy" rating** to Viasat, with target prices ranging from **$23.00** to **$52.00**, while the company's average rating is currently **"hold"** with a consensus target price of **$21.13**.
• Viasat reported earnings of **$0.17 EPS**, exceeding analysts' expectations, and its revenue for the quarter was **$1.17 billion**, marking a **4.0% increase** compared to the same quarter last year.

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT - Get Free Report) saw a large decrease in short interest during the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totaling 17,210,000 shares, a decrease of 30.3% from the July 31st total of 24,690,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 4,090,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.2 days. Based on an average trading volume of 4,090,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.2 days.

Viasat Stock Up 9.5%

Shares of VSAT traded up $2.77 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $31.91. 4,949,367 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,888,243. The company has a current ratio of 2.11, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The company has a market capitalization of $4.28 billion, a P/E ratio of -6.91 and a beta of 1.27. Viasat has a 52 week low of $6.69 and a 52 week high of $33.85. The company's 50 day moving average is $22.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.54.

Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 5th. The communications equipment provider reported $0.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.15) by $0.32. The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.13 billion. Viasat had a negative return on equity of 6.37% and a negative net margin of 13.11%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.30 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Viasat will post -0.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on VSAT shares. B. Riley cut their price objective on Viasat from $56.00 to $52.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Viasat from $10.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Viasat in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. William Blair reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Viasat in a research report on Wednesday, August 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Viasat from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $21.13.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Viasat

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VSAT. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Viasat by 233.4% during the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,177 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 2,224 shares during the last quarter. MAI Capital Management lifted its stake in shares of Viasat by 74.7% during the 1st quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 3,836 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 1,640 shares during the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Viasat during the 2nd quarter worth $43,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Viasat during the 2nd quarter worth $45,000. Finally, Quarry LP lifted its stake in shares of Viasat by 2,412.3% during the 1st quarter. Quarry LP now owns 5,728 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $60,000 after purchasing an additional 5,500 shares during the last quarter. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Viasat Company Profile

Viasat, Inc provides broadband and communications products and services worldwide. The company's Satellite Services segment offers satellite-based fixed broadband services, including broadband internet access and voice over internet protocol services to consumers and businesses; in-flight entertainment and aviation software services to commercial airlines and private business jets; satellite-based connectivity services; mobile broadband services, including satellite-based internet services to energy offshore vessels, cruise ships, consumer ferries, and yachts; and energy services, which include ultra-secure solutions IP connectivity, bandwidth-optimized over-the-top applications, industrial internet-of-things big data enablement, and industry-leading machine learning analytics.