Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) Shares Up 4.8% – Should You Buy?

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT) traded up 4.8% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $75.25 and last traded at $75.8160. Approximately 189,006 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 91% from the average daily volume of 2,065,405 shares. The stock had previously closed at $72.36.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on VSAT. Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on shares of Viasat from $90.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viasat in a report on Friday, July 17th. Zacks Research upgraded Viasat from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. B. Riley Financial increased their price target on Viasat from $94.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $95.00 price target on Viasat in a report on Monday, August 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $90.67.

Viasat Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a current ratio of 1.68. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $75.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $66.09. The firm has a market cap of $10.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -309.62 and a beta of 1.70.

Insider Transactions at Viasat

In other Viasat news, Director Richard Baldridge sold 223,542 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.62, for a total value of $18,021,956.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Garrett Chase sold 4,000 shares of Viasat stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.90, for a total value of $299,600.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 26,239 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,965,301.10. This trade represents a 13.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 244,291 shares of company stock worth $19,526,868 in the last quarter. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Viasat

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VSAT. Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Viasat during the second quarter valued at $30,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Viasat by 935.3% during the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 352 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 318 shares in the last quarter. Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Viasat in the second quarter worth about $37,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. bought a new position in Viasat in the 2nd quarter valued at about $43,000. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont bought a new position in Viasat in the 2nd quarter valued at about $46,000. Institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

About Viasat

Viasat, Inc is a communications company that provides satellite-based connectivity and related services to consumers, businesses, governments and other organizations. The company develops and operates satellite networks, ground infrastructure and connectivity systems designed to deliver broadband, communications and data services in locations where terrestrial networks may be limited.

Viasat’s offerings include residential and community internet access, in-flight connectivity for commercial and business aviation, maritime communications, and connectivity solutions for government and defense customers.