Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) Sets New 1-Year High - Here's Why

Key Points

• Viasat reached a new 52‑week high, trading as high as $64.92 (last $64.08) during mid‑day action and was up about 2.0%, with a market cap of roughly $8.7 billion and 50/200‑day moving averages of $49.55/$41.76.
• Analyst coverage is mixed — five Buys, one Hold and two Sells — leaving an overall average rating of Hold and an average price target of $51.43, though firms like Needham and Deutsche Bank recently raised targets and/or ratings.
• Insiders have sold 40,881 shares (~$1.94M) in the last 90 days (insider ownership 2.20%), while institutional ownership remains high at about 86.05% with several funds adding or increasing stakes.

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $64.92 and last traded at $64.08, with a volume of 1424024 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $62.85.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on VSAT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Viasat from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their target price for the company from $36.00 to $48.00 in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Viasat in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Viasat in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Raymond James Financial reiterated a "reduce" rating on shares of Viasat in a research report on Monday. Finally, Needham & Company LLC increased their target price on shares of Viasat from $45.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Viasat currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $51.43.

Viasat Stock Up 2.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 2.13. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $49.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $41.76. The company has a market cap of $8.70 billion, a P/E ratio of -24.74 and a beta of 1.45.

Insider Transactions at Viasat

In other news, CAO Camellia E. Fitzgerald sold 2,810 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total value of $134,880.00. Following 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Craig Andrew Miller sold 5,260 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $263,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 21,252 shares in the company, valued at $1,062,600. This represents a 19.84% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 40,881 shares of company stock worth $1,939,317 over the last 90 days. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Viasat

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new stake in shares of Viasat in the 1st quarter worth $2,757,000. Diversified Trust Co raised its position in shares of Viasat by 11.9% during the first quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 23,051 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $1,056,000 after purchasing an additional 2,445 shares during the period. Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Viasat during the first quarter worth $240,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new stake in shares of Viasat during the fourth quarter worth $583,000. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its position in shares of Viasat by 278.1% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 6,427 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $221,000 after purchasing an additional 4,727 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.05% of the company's stock.

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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