Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) Hits New 1-Year High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• 52‑week high: Viasat shares reached a new 52‑week high of $59.73 (last at $59.10) during mid‑day trading on volume of 577,826 shares.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but skewed positive — six Buys, one Hold and one Sell with a MarketBeat average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $51.43, though some firms have raised targets (Needham to $58).
• Insiders sold 40,881 shares (~$1.94M) in the past three months while company insiders own 2.20% of stock and institutional investors hold 86.05%, indicating heavy institutional ownership despite recent insider reductions.

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $59.73 and last traded at $59.0970, with a volume of 577826 shares. The stock had previously closed at $56.98.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on VSAT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Viasat from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $36.00 to $48.00 in a report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Viasat in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Viasat in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Morgan Stanley set a $51.00 target price on shares of Viasat in a report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC upped their target price on shares of Viasat from $45.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 27th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $51.43.

Viasat Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 1.90. The stock's fifty day moving average is $47.89 and its 200-day moving average is $40.85. The stock has a market cap of $7.94 billion, a PE ratio of -22.53 and a beta of 1.45.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Robert James Blair sold 30,411 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.04, for a total value of $1,430,533.44. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 38,108 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,792,600.32. This represents a 44.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Craig Andrew Miller sold 5,260 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $263,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 21,252 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,062,600. This represents a 19.84% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 40,881 shares of company stock worth $1,939,317. Company insiders own 2.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Viasat

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VSAT. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in Viasat during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of Viasat by 6,815.4% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 899 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 886 shares during the period. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Viasat in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Viasat in the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Viasat in the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.05% of the company's stock.

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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