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

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Stock traders bought 27,984 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 352% compared to the average daily volume of 6,187 call options.

More Viasat News

Here are the key news stories impacting Viasat this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Viasat has been boosted by multiple U.S. Space Force awards, which support its secure satellite communications business and improve confidence in future defense-related revenue. Viasat stock jumps as Space Force wins fuel bullish analyst outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer initiated coverage with an outperform rating and a $140 price target, signaling additional upside from current levels and reinforcing the bullish sentiment around the shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Heavy call option buying suggests traders are positioning for more upside, with call volume spiking well above normal levels.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are highlighting Viasat as a beneficiary of rising defense solutions demand and broader optimism around the satellite sector, which adds to the stock’s momentum but does not guarantee near-term financial results. Can Rising Defense Solutions Demand Boost Viasat’s Growth Prospects?
• Negative Sentiment: Earlier commentary included bearish articles questioning the stock’s durability, but those concerns have been outweighed recently by contract wins and analyst upgrades. 3 reasons to sell VSAT and 1 stock to buy instead

Viasat Price Performance

Shares of VSAT traded up $11.48 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $88.17. The stock had a trading volume of 4,018,311 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,048,749. Viasat has a 12 month low of $14.00 and a 12 month high of $89.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a current ratio of 2.41. The firm has a market cap of $12.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -303.67 and a beta of 1.70. The business has a fifty day moving average of $68.35 and a 200 day moving average of $52.91.

Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The communications equipment provider reported ($0.02) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.32 by ($0.34). Viasat had a positive return on equity of 1.58% and a negative net margin of 0.73%.The company had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous 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. Equities analysts predict that Viasat will post -0.39 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Garrett L. Chase sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.41, for a total value of $249,640.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 34,239 shares in the company, valued at $2,136,855.99. The trade was a 10.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Mark D. Dankberg sold 400,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.76, for a total transaction of $25,904,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,082,196 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $70,083,012.96. This represents a 26.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold 438,275 shares of company stock worth $28,608,719 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Viasat

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Viasat during the first quarter worth $25,000. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd acquired a new position in Viasat during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Viasat in the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. EFG International AG acquired a new stake in shares of Viasat during the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in Viasat during the fourth quarter worth $47,000. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on VSAT. 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 price target on the stock. Oppenheimer started coverage on shares of Viasat in a research report on Monday. They set an “outperform” rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viasat in a report on Monday, April 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $97.00 price objective on shares of Viasat in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Barclays set a $49.00 target price on Viasat in a research note on Friday, May 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $84.11.

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.