Viasat Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NASDAQ:VSAT)

Key Points

• Traders purchased 41,334 call options on Viasat on Friday — roughly an 810% increase versus the average daily call volume of 4,543, signaling unusually heavy bullish options activity.
• VSAT rose 3.0% to $63.09 on Friday (one‑year high $64.46), with a market cap of $8.57 billion and 50-/200‑day moving averages of $48.77 and $41.12.
• Analysts’ consensus is a Moderate Buy with a $51.43 average target after several firms raised price targets, while insiders sold about 40,881 shares (~$1.94M) in the past 90 days and now own 2.20% of the stock.

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT - Get Free Report) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Traders purchased 41,334 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 810% compared to the average daily volume of 4,543 call options.

Viasat Trading Up 3.0%

VSAT traded up $1.86 during trading on Friday, reaching $63.09. 481,258 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,724,735. Viasat has a one year low of $7.95 and a one year high of $64.46. The company has a current ratio of 2.13, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.57 billion, a PE ratio of -24.28 and a beta of 1.45. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $48.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $41.12.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on VSAT. Needham & Company LLC boosted 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. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Viasat in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Barclays upgraded shares of Viasat from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $23.00 to $49.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Morgan Stanley set a $51.00 target price on shares of Viasat in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Viasat in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $51.43.

Insider Buying and Selling at Viasat

In other Viasat news, CAO Camellia E. Fitzgerald sold 2,810 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total value 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 $477,408. The trade was a 22.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Robert James Blair sold 30,411 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.04, for a total transaction of $1,430,533.44. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 38,108 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,792,600.32. This represents a 44.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 40,881 shares of company stock worth $1,939,317. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Viasat

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Quent Capital LLC bought a new stake in Viasat during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted 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 purchasing an additional 886 shares during the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new stake in shares of Viasat in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Viasat in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Viasat in the 4th quarter valued at $38,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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