Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) Sets New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $50.70 and last traded at $50.18, with a volume of 2146188 shares. The stock had previously closed at $47.53.

Trending Headlines about Viasat

Here are the key news stories impacting Viasat this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call‑option buying: traders purchased roughly ~41,084 call contracts in a single session (well above average), signaling short‑term bullish speculation or hedging ahead of catalysts. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and upgrades: several firms maintain Buy/outperform ratings and some targets (e.g., Morgan Stanley $51; Deutsche Bank upgrade/raise) provide fundamental backing that can attract buyers. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Favorable research writeups: Zacks highlights Viasat as a long‑term growth name and argues it compares well versus some peers, which can draw growth‑oriented capital. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry exposure: inclusion in regional market reports (e.g., Middle East satellite communications) highlights addressable market visibility but no immediate revenue surprise. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: High institutional ownership (~86%) — can reduce free float and magnify moves on concentrated trading, but is neutral absent major position changes. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: two senior Viasat officers disclosed sizable sales — SVP Robert J. Blair sold ~30,411 shares (~$1.43M) and SVP Craig Miller sold 5,260 shares (~$263k). Meaningful reductions by insiders can spook some investors despite possible personal reasons. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Consensus price target (~$45.86) is below current trading levels, which may limit upside expectations and invites caution among value‑oriented investors. Read More.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $51.00 price target on shares of Viasat in a report on Friday, January 16th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $45.00 target price on shares of Viasat in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Viasat in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Viasat from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $36.00 to $48.00 in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viasat in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $45.86.

Viasat Stock Up 6.6%

The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $45.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.03. 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 $7.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -20.00 and a beta of 1.44.

Insider Transactions at Viasat

In other news, SVP Benjamin Edward Palmer sold 2,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.21, for a total transaction of $110,904.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 25,431 shares in the company, valued at $1,175,166.51. The trade was a 8.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Robert James Blair sold 30,411 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.04, for a total value of $1,430,533.44. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 38,108 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,792,600.32. This trade represents a 44.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 140,881 shares of company stock valued at $5,973,317. Company insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Viasat

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VSAT. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Viasat by 278.1% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 6,427 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $221,000 after purchasing an additional 4,727 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Viasat during the fourth quarter worth about $277,000. Virtue Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Viasat during the fourth quarter worth about $211,000. Vident Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Viasat by 23.2% in the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 16,716 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $576,000 after buying an additional 3,144 shares during the period. Finally, State of Tennessee Department of Treasury raised its position in shares of Viasat by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 46,952 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,618,000 after buying an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

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.