UBS Group Has Lowered Expectations for Viavi Solutions (NASDAQ:VIAV) Stock Price

Viavi Solutions (NASDAQ:VIAV) had its price objective decreased by analysts at UBS Group from $44.00 to $33.00 in a research note issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the communications equipment provider’s stock. UBS Group‘s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 15.91% from the company’s current price.

VIAV has been the subject of several other research reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded Viavi Solutions from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 29th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and set a $70.00 target price on shares of Viavi Solutions in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus set a $65.00 target price on Viavi Solutions in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Needham & Company LLC lowered their target price on Viavi Solutions from $60.00 to $53.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Zacks Research cut Viavi Solutions from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 12th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $57.83.

Viavi Solutions Price Performance

Viavi Solutions stock traded up $2.17 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $28.47. 13,125,800 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,884,316. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 118.63 and a beta of 1.31. The business’s 50-day moving average is $36.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $38.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a current ratio of 1.85. Viavi Solutions has a 12 month low of $15.51 and a 12 month high of $60.43.

Viavi Solutions (NASDAQ:VIAV) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The communications equipment provider reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.41 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $469.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $455.06 million. Viavi Solutions had a negative net margin of 2.00% and a positive return on equity of 19.60%. Viavi Solutions’s quarterly revenue was up 56.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.15 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Viavi Solutions will post 1.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Viavi Solutions

In other news, SVP Luke M. Scrivanich sold 35,866 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.24, for a total transaction of $1,299,783.84. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 39,598 shares in the company, valued at $1,435,031.52. The trade was a 47.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Ilan Daskal sold 56,290 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.29, for a total value of $2,042,764.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,132 shares in the company, valued at $367,690.28. This trade represents a 84.75% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 199,694 shares of company stock valued at $7,976,233 over the last 90 days. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Viavi Solutions

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. WPG Advisers LLC grew its position in shares of Viavi Solutions by 96.2% during the 1st quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 775 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 380 shares during the period. Silvant Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Viavi Solutions during the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its holdings in Viavi Solutions by 413.3% in the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 811 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 653 shares during the period. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new position in Viavi Solutions in the second quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Viavi Solutions by 83.2% in the second quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 852 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 387 shares during the period. 95.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Viavi Solutions News

Here are the key news stories impacting Viavi Solutions this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Viavi reported adjusted earnings of $0.47 per share, beating estimates of about $0.40–$0.41 and rising from $0.15 a year earlier; revenue also topped expectations. The company cited strength in data-center and aerospace/defense demand, and expects sequential revenue growth through fiscal 2027, with semiconductor testing adding to its opportunities. Article: VIAV Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates on Data Center, A&D Strength
• Positive Sentiment: The company announced a $500 million share-buyback plan, which could support per-share earnings and signal confidence in its prospects. Article: Viavi announces a $500 million equity buyback
• Neutral Sentiment: Needham cut its price target from $60 to $53 but retained a Buy rating. The lower target is a caution, though the analyst remains constructive. Article: Needham analyst recommendation
• Negative Sentiment: UBS lowered its target from $44 to $33 and moved to Neutral. Although the revised target is still above the quoted $28.47 share price, the cut and less favorable rating could weigh on sentiment. Article: UBS analyst recommendation

Viavi Solutions Company Profile

Viavi Solutions Inc (NASDAQ: VIAV) develops equipment, software and services used to test, monitor and secure communications networks. Its solutions support network operators, equipment manufacturers, government agencies and other organizations involved in the design, deployment and operation of wired and wireless networks.

The company’s products include fiber-optic and broadband test instruments, network performance and service-assurance software, optical spectrum analyzers, monitoring systems and tools for testing 5G and other advanced communications technologies.