Quick Summary
- Oppenheimer launched coverage on Viasat (VSAT) with an “Outperform” designation and set a $140 price objective, suggesting approximately 96% potential gains from Friday’s closing price.
- Shares of VSAT climbed $9.40 during Monday’s session to reach $71.35, trading within a 52-week range of $14.00 to $89.79.
- The satellite communications company fell short of Q3 earnings projections by $0.34 per share, posting ($0.02) versus analyst expectations of $0.32, alongside a revenue shortfall of approximately $30 million.
- Louisiana State Employees Retirement System established a fresh stake valued at roughly $2.76 million during the first quarter; institutional investors control 86.05% of outstanding shares.
- Company insiders have divested 438,275 shares totaling more than $28.6 million over the last three months, with recent transactions from both the CFO and a board member.
On Monday, Oppenheimer launched coverage of Viasat (VSAT) with an “Outperform” designation alongside a $140 price objective—representing roughly double the stock’s current trading level. VSAT closed at $71.35 following a $9.40 gain for the session, positioning Oppenheimer’s forecast at approximately 96% above that closing figure.
This represents a notably bullish stance on a stock that has experienced significant volatility throughout the year. VSAT bottomed at $14.00 during its 12-month trading period before staging a recovery. The stock peaked at $89.79 during that same timeframe.
With a 50-day moving average of $68.04 and a 200-day moving average at $52.63, Monday’s closing price exceeded both technical indicators.
Oppenheimer isn’t alone in expressing optimism. B. Riley increased its price objective from $94 to $106 while maintaining a “Buy” rating on May 29. New Street Research initiated coverage with a “Buy” recommendation and $100 target on May 13. Deutsche Bank maintained its “Buy” stance with a $97 target on June 1. Raymond James established a $74 objective with an “Outperform” rating on April 24.
Barclays takes a more conservative approach with a $49 price target. Weiss Ratings has assigned the stock a “Sell (D-)” rating.
The overall analyst consensus lands at “Moderate Buy” with average price targets ranging from approximately $77 to $84, varying by source. Coverage includes ten analysts: one rates it Strong Buy, seven have Buy ratings, one maintains a Hold, and one recommends Sell.
Quarterly Results Fall Short of Expectations
On May 28, Viasat released third-quarter earnings that failed to meet Wall Street forecasts. The company reported a loss of ($0.02) per share, missing the consensus forecast of $0.32 by $0.34. Quarterly revenue reached $1.17 billion compared to analyst projections of $1.20 billion—representing a miss of roughly $30 million.
Revenue increased 2.1% compared to the prior-year period, while the company matched its year-earlier EPS figure. Net margin registered at -0.73%, with return on equity posting a modest positive reading of 1.58%.
Analyst projections place full-year EPS at -$0.39. The company’s market capitalization ranges from approximately $8.46 billion to $9.74 billion depending on daily price fluctuations, while maintaining a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35.
Institutions Accumulate While Insiders Exit
Louisiana State Employees Retirement System initiated a new position during the first quarter, acquiring 60,200 shares with an approximate value of $2.76 million. This addition contributes to an already substantial institutional presence—institutions collectively hold 86.05% of VSAT shares.
Notable institutional activity includes Disciplined Growth Investors, which purchased 796,349 shares during Q2, expanding its holdings to 5.85 million shares. T. Rowe Price executed a substantial increase—up 2,821.7% in Q4—accumulating more than 3.1 million additional shares.
Conversely, corporate insiders have been reducing their positions. CFO Garrett L. Chase divested 4,000 shares on June 22 at $62.41, trimming his stake by 10.46%. Director Richard A. Baldridge sold 27,122 shares on June 3 at $71.74, representing an 11.28% reduction.
Collectively, insiders have sold 438,275 shares valued at $28.6 million throughout the past 90 days. Insider ownership currently represents 2.20% of shares outstanding.
During Monday’s trading session, VSAT opened at $61.95 before advancing to close at $71.35.
Get 3 Free Stock Ebooks
Discover top-performing stocks in AI, Crypto, and Technology with expert analysis.
- Top 10 AI Stocks - Leading AI companies
- Top 10 Crypto Stocks - Blockchain leaders
- Top 10 Tech Stocks - Tech giants
