Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) Receives "Sell (D-)" Rating from Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) was given a "sell (D-)" rating by Weiss Ratings, with multiple analysts providing varying ratings; three rated it as a "buy" and two assigned a "sell" rating.
• The company reported a quarterly earnings of $0.17 EPS, exceeding analysts' expectations, and generated revenue of $1.17 billion, marking a 4% year-over-year increase.
• Viasat's stock has seen significant activity with a current trading price of $38.11 and a fifty-two week range between $6.69 and $38.67, reflecting notable market interest and volatility.

Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "sell (d-)" rating reiterated by Weiss Ratings in a report released on Friday,Weiss Ratings reports.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price target on shares of Viasat from $16.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating on shares of Viasat in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Viasat in a research report on Wednesday, August 27th. Barclays restated an "underweight" rating and issued a $23.00 price target (up previously from $10.00) on shares of Viasat in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Viasat from $10.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $23.29.

Viasat Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ VSAT traded up $0.76 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $38.11. 1,569,331 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,447,301. Viasat has a fifty-two week low of $6.69 and a fifty-two week high of $38.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 2.11 and a quick ratio of 1.87. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $31.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $19.27.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Richard A. Baldridge sold 100,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.00, for a total value of $3,100,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 197,161 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,111,991. This trade represents a 33.65% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.20% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Viasat

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new position in Viasat in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings 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 valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 2,224 shares in the last quarter. MAI Capital Management grew its holdings 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 valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 1,640 shares in the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of Viasat during the 2nd quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Delos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Viasat during the 2nd quarter valued at $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.05% of the company's stock.

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.

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