StockNews.com Begins Coverage on Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT)

StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT – Get Rating) in a report issued on Thursday. The firm issued a sell rating on the communications equipment provider’s stock.

VSAT has been the subject of several other research reports. William Blair downgraded Viasat from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Viasat from $36.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. Barclays reduced their price objective on Viasat from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a buy rating and issued a $44.00 price objective on shares of Viasat in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Viasat currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $53.60.

Viasat Stock Performance

Shares of Viasat stock opened at $34.65 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $34.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $34.70. Viasat has a 12-month low of $25.38 and a 12-month high of $50.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Keven K. Lippert sold 2,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.00, for a total transaction of $94,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 11,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $406,840. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders have sold 8,400 shares of company stock valued at $281,433 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 4.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Belpointe Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Viasat during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Captrust Financial Advisors grew its stake in shares of Viasat by 29.2% during the second quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,313 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 297 shares during the last quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. bought a new position in Viasat in the second quarter worth approximately $48,000. CI Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in Viasat by 522.5% during the second quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 1,606 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 1,348 shares during the period. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Viasat during the first quarter worth $85,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

Viasat Company Profile

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ViaSat, Inc provides communications technologies and services. It operates through following segments: Satellite Services, Commercial Networks and Government Systems. The Satellite Services segment provides satellite-based high-speed broadband services with multiple applications to consumers, enterprises, and mobile broadband customers (including commercial airlines and maritime vessels) both in the United States and abroad.