Investors Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT)

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Investors bought 66,045 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 1,566% compared to the average daily volume of 3,965 call options.

Insider Transactions at Viasat

In related news, CAO Shawn Lynn Duffy sold 51,480 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.38, for a total value of $1,872,842.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 6,021 shares in the company, valued at approximately $219,043.98. This represents a 89.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Mark D. Dankberg sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.34, for a total transaction of $4,034,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,434,993 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $57,887,617.62. This trade represents a 6.51% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 356,559 shares of company stock valued at $13,140,521 in the last three months. 2.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Viasat

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Viasat during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Viasat by 6,815.4% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 899 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 886 shares in the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in shares of Viasat in the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd purchased a new stake in Viasat during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Viasat in the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Viasat Price Performance

VSAT traded up $1.78 on Friday, reaching $48.41. The stock had a trading volume of 1,204,040 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,934,230. The company has a market capitalization of $6.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -18.68 and a beta of 1.47. Viasat has a fifty-two week low of $7.36 and a fifty-two week high of $49.68. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $39.81 and a 200-day moving average of $34.29. The company has a current ratio of 2.13, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VSAT has been the subject of several recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Viasat from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $36.00 to $48.00 in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viasat in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Viasat in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Viasat from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $23.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 target price on shares of Viasat in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $45.86.

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.