Key Points
- Viasat SVP Benjamin Edward Palmer sold 2,400 shares at an average price of $75.46, generating $181,104 and reducing his direct ownership by 10.19% to 21,159 shares.
- Viasat’s latest quarterly results missed expectations, reporting a loss of $0.02 per share versus the $0.32 consensus estimate and revenue of $1.17 billion versus $1.20 billion expected. The company posted a negative net margin, although revenue increased 2.1% year over year.
- Analyst sentiment remains generally positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $85.78, but the stock has recently declined 6% and faces risks from elevated valuation, heavy capital spending and execution challenges.
Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT - Get Free Report) Director John Stenbit sold 616 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.46, for a total value of $46,483.36. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 634 shares of the company's stock, valued at $47,841.64. This trade represents a 49.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.
Viasat Trading Down 6.0%
NASDAQ VSAT opened at $81.03 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $11.16 billion, a PE ratio of -337.62 and a beta of 1.72. The company has a current ratio of 2.41, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $72.39 and a 200-day moving average of $60.32. Viasat Inc. has a 12 month low of $21.28 and a 12 month high of $93.03.
Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The communications equipment provider reported ($0.02) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.32 by ($0.34). Viasat had a negative net margin of 0.64% and a positive return on equity of 1.45%. The company had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned ($0.02) EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Viasat Inc. will post -0.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Viasat
A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VSAT. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in Viasat by 483.2% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 109,448 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $1,140,000 after buying an additional 90,680 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Viasat by 189.7% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 452,933 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $4,692,000 after purchasing an additional 296,612 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in Viasat by 673.7% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,386,089 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $14,443,000 after purchasing an additional 1,206,935 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in Viasat by 64.9% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,866,242 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $29,866,000 after buying an additional 1,128,338 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of Viasat by 6.9% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 226,184 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $2,357,000 after buying an additional 14,575 shares during the period. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Trending Headlines about Viasat
Here are the key news stories impacting Viasat this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Viasat reported fiscal Q1 adjusted earnings of $0.17 per share, above the roughly $0.10 consensus estimate and significantly better than the year-ago result. Lower interest expense helped narrow losses and supported the earnings beat. Viasat Q1 Earnings Surpass Estimates
- Positive Sentiment: Management expects approximately $180 million of fiscal 2027 free cash flow while maintaining its $950 million-$1 billion capital-expenditure plan. Executives also highlighted record Direct-to-Air (DAT) awards and continued growth opportunities in government, aviation and maritime connectivity. Viasat Free Cash Flow and Capital Expenditure Outlook
- Positive Sentiment: Two ViaSat-3 satellites are nearing service, potentially expanding capacity and supporting the company’s next phase of growth. Needham raised its price target to $105 and reiterated a Buy rating, citing the improving outlook. Needham Raises Viasat Price Target
- Neutral Sentiment: VSAT has already rallied substantially over the past three months, leaving investors focused on whether ViaSat-3 commercialization and new contracts can justify the higher valuation. Competitive pressures and execution remain important risks. Viasat Rally and Outlook
- Negative Sentiment: Quarterly revenue of approximately $1.16 billion missed the $1.20 billion analyst estimate and declined year over year. The revenue shortfall is likely outweighing the adjusted earnings beat because it raises questions about near-term demand and the pace of growth.
- Negative Sentiment: Commentary following the report characterized the stock as expensive after its recent advance, while the large capital-spending program leaves limited room for execution missteps. Two insiders also sold shares, including a director and a senior vice president, adding a modest negative signal.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
VSAT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on Viasat in a research note on Monday, June 29th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. New Street Research started coverage on shares of Viasat in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $100.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and set a $97.00 price objective on shares of Viasat in a report on Monday, June 1st. Barclays set a $49.00 price target on Viasat in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Viasat in a research note on Friday, July 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $85.78.
View Our Latest Analysis on VSAT
Viasat Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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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