Traders Purchase Large Volume of Viasat Call Options (NASDAQ:VSAT)

Key Points

• Unusually heavy call buying hit Viasat, with traders purchasing 27,984 call options on Tuesday versus a typical 6,187, a jump of about 352%. This suggests strong bullish betting on the stock’s near-term upside.
• The stock surged 15% on the day, closing at $88.17 and nearing its 52-week high of $89.79. Trading volume also ran well above average, signaling heightened investor interest.
• Analyst sentiment has turned increasingly positive, with several firms issuing or raising targets, including Oppenheimer’s outperform call with a $140 price target. Viasat’s recent Space Force wins and defense-related demand are helping support that optimism.

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT - Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock investors acquired 27,984 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 352% compared to the typical volume of 6,187 call options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on VSAT shares. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Viasat in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Barclays set a $49.00 price target on shares of Viasat in a research note on Friday, May 29th. New Street Research assumed coverage on Viasat in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. They set a "buy" rating and a $100.00 price target for the company. Raymond James Financial set a $74.00 target price on shares of Viasat and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, B. Riley Financial lifted their price objective on Viasat from $94.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Viasat has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $84.11.

Viasat Trading Up 15.0%

NASDAQ:VSAT traded up $11.48 on Tuesday, hitting $88.17. The stock had a trading volume of 4,018,311 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,048,749. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $68.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $52.91. The company has a quick ratio of 2.19, a current ratio of 2.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The stock has a market cap of $12.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -303.67 and a beta of 1.70. Viasat has a 1-year low of $14.00 and a 1-year high of $89.79.

Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The communications equipment provider reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.32 by ($0.34). Viasat had a positive return on equity of 1.58% and a negative net margin of 0.73%.The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.02) EPS. Viasat's revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Viasat will post -0.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Viasat

In other news, Director John P. Stenbit sold 653 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.74, for a total transaction of $46,846.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 29,597 shares in the company, valued at $2,123,288.78. This trade represents a 2.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Garrett L. Chase sold 4,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.41, for a total value of $249,640.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 34,239 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,136,855.99. This represents a 10.46% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 438,275 shares of company stock worth $28,608,719. Insiders own 2.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VSAT. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its position in shares of Viasat by 2.6% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 8,605 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $394,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares during the period. Vise Technologies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Viasat by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 7,446 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $257,000 after buying an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its position in Viasat by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 19,360 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $667,000 after purchasing an additional 349 shares during the last quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury boosted its position in Viasat by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 46,952 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $1,618,000 after buying an additional 350 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Viasat by 1.9% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 19,145 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $561,000 after purchasing an additional 361 shares during the last quarter. 86.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Viasat

Here are the key news stories impacting Viasat this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Viasat has been boosted by multiple U.S. Space Force awards, which support its secure satellite communications business and improve confidence in future defense-related revenue. Viasat stock jumps as Space Force wins fuel bullish analyst outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer initiated coverage with an outperform rating and a $140 price target, signaling additional upside from current levels and reinforcing the bullish sentiment around the shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Heavy call option buying suggests traders are positioning for more upside, with call volume spiking well above normal levels.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are highlighting Viasat as a beneficiary of rising defense solutions demand and broader optimism around the satellite sector, which adds to the stock’s momentum but does not guarantee near-term financial results. Can Rising Defense Solutions Demand Boost Viasat's Growth Prospects?
• Negative Sentiment: Earlier commentary included bearish articles questioning the stock’s durability, but those concerns have been outweighed recently by contract wins and analyst upgrades. 3 reasons to sell VSAT and 1 stock to buy instead

Viasat Company Profile

Viasat, Inc NASDAQ: VSAT provides high‐capacity satellite broadband and wireless communications services to consumer, commercial and government customers worldwide. The company designs and operates satellite systems and network infrastructure to deliver secure, high-speed connectivity across remote and underserved regions, as well as managed networking solutions for enterprises and public sector agencies.

Viasat's product offerings include residential and enterprise satellite internet services, in-flight connectivity for commercial airlines and business jets, and secure networking platforms tailored to defense and intelligence users.

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