Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Eight brokers rate Viasat a "Moderate Buy" (six buys, two sells) with an average 1‑year price target of about $45.86.
• Insider selling: CEO Mark Dankberg sold 200,000 shares and company insiders sold a total of 302,810 shares (~$11.19M) in the last quarter, trimming insider ownership to 2.20%.
• Market snapshot: Shares trade near $46 with a market cap of $6.27B, a negative P/E, 50‑day/200‑day MAs of $44.50/$37.64, a one‑year range of $7.36–$50.24, and ~86.05% institutional ownership.

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the eight research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $45.8571.

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Viasat in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Viasat in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley set a $51.00 price objective on Viasat in a report on Friday, January 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Viasat from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $36.00 to $48.00 in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and set a $45.00 price objective on shares of Viasat in a report on Wednesday, January 21st.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Viasat news, CEO Mark D. Dankberg sold 200,000 shares of Viasat stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.09, for a total transaction of $7,018,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,534,993 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $53,862,904.37. This trade represents a 11.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Camellia E. Fitzgerald sold 2,810 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total transaction of $134,880.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 9,946 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $477,408. The trade was a 22.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 302,810 shares of company stock worth $11,186,880 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 2.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Viasat

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VSAT. Corient Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Viasat during the fourth quarter valued at about $277,000. Virtue Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Viasat in the fourth quarter worth about $211,000. Vident Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of Viasat by 23.2% in the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 16,716 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $576,000 after acquiring an additional 3,144 shares during the last quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury lifted its stake in shares of Viasat by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 46,952 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $1,618,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EP Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Viasat during the 4th quarter valued at about $279,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Viasat Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:VSAT opened at $46.14 on Friday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $44.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $37.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -17.81 and a beta of 1.44. Viasat has a one year low of $7.36 and a one year high of $50.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 1.90.

About Viasat

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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