Benjamin Edward Palmer Sells 2,400 Shares of Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) Stock

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT) SVP Benjamin Edward Palmer sold 2,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.46, for a total transaction of $181,104.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 21,159 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,596,658.14. This trade represents a 10.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Viasat Price Performance

Viasat stock opened at $81.99 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.29 billion, a P/E ratio of -341.62 and a beta of 1.72. Viasat Inc. has a 12-month low of $24.95 and a 12-month high of $93.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 2.19. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $72.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $60.57.

Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The communications equipment provider reported ($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by ($0.34). The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. Viasat had a negative net margin of 0.64% and a positive return on equity of 1.44%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.02) EPS. Equities analysts predict that Viasat Inc. will post -0.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Viasat

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VSAT. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its holdings in shares of Viasat by 2,821.7% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 3,222,981 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $111,065,000 after purchasing an additional 3,112,670 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Viasat by 673.7% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,386,089 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $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% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,866,242 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $29,866,000 after purchasing an additional 1,128,338 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Viasat by 43.5% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,307,187 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $96,890,000 after purchasing an additional 1,002,737 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tema ETFs LLC raised its holdings in Viasat by 229,857.1% in the second quarter. Tema ETFs LLC now owns 965,820 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $86,740,000 after buying an additional 965,400 shares during the period. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Viasat

Here are the key news stories impacting Viasat this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Viasat reported fiscal Q1 2027 adjusted earnings of $0.17 per share, above the approximately $0.10 consensus estimate. Lower interest expense helped improve profitability and supported the earnings beat. Viasat Q1 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects roughly $180 million in fiscal 2027 free cash flow while maintaining its $950 million-$1 billion capital-expenditure plan. Record Direct-to-Air awards and growth in government, aviation and maritime connectivity also reinforce the long-term outlook. Viasat Free Cash Flow Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Two ViaSat-3 satellites are nearing service, potentially adding capacity for commercial and government customers. Needham raised its price target from $90 to $105 and maintained a Buy rating, providing additional support for the stock’s valuation. Needham Raises Viasat Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Viasat’s recent rally has increased investor focus on whether ViaSat-3 commercialization, new contracts and improved cash generation can justify the higher valuation. Competitive pressure 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 raises concerns about near-term demand despite the adjusted earnings beat.
• Negative Sentiment: Several insiders sold shares: Director Theresa Wise sold 2,500 shares, Director John Stenbit sold 616 shares, and SVP Benjamin Palmer sold 2,400 shares. These transactions are a modest negative signal, although insider selling can reflect personal liquidity needs rather than a change in company fundamentals. Viasat Insider Selling

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VSAT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Raymond James Financial set a $74.00 price target on Viasat and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Needham & Company LLC upped their target price on Viasat from $90.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $97.00 target price on shares of Viasat in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on Viasat in a research note on Monday, June 29th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Barclays set a $49.00 price objective on shares of Viasat in a research note on Friday, May 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Viasat currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $85.78.

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.