Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) Shares Gap Down – What’s Next?

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT) gapped down prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $86.16, but opened at $77.39. Viasat shares last traded at $81.57, with a volume of 443,005 shares trading hands.

Trending Headlines about Viasat

Here are the key news stories impacting Viasat this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Viasat reported fiscal 2027 first-quarter adjusted earnings of $0.17 per share, above the Zacks consensus estimate of $0.10 and substantially better than the prior-year loss. Lower interest expense helped narrow the company’s losses. ViaSat Q1 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted record awards and growth in its Defense and Advanced Technologies business, or DAT, while reaffirming expectations for stronger growth later in the fiscal year. Viasat Q1 Earnings Call Centers on DAT Growth & ViaSat-3
• Positive Sentiment: Two ViaSat-3 satellites are nearing commercial service, a development that could support future connectivity revenue and cash flow. The company also pointed to stronger cash generation ahead. Viasat Q1 Results Earnings Call Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity indicates elevated bullish speculation: investors purchased 15,854 call options, roughly 154% above typical daily volume. Options activity can increase volatility but does not confirm a fundamental change. Investors Purchase High Volume of Viasat Call Options
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue came in at approximately $1.16 billion, below the $1.20 billion analyst forecast and down about 1.2% year over year. The shortfall is likely offsetting the earnings beat, particularly because satellite investments continue to pressure margins. Viasat Stock Hits the Brakes After Q1 Report

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price objective on shares of Viasat from $58.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $97.00 price target on shares of Viasat in a research note on Monday, June 1st. B. Riley Financial boosted their target price on Viasat from $94.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer began coverage on Viasat in a research report on Monday, June 29th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $140.00 target price for the company. Finally, New Street Research began coverage on Viasat in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $100.00 price target on the stock. One 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Viasat has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $84.11.

Viasat Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a current ratio of 2.41. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $72.48 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $60.06. The stock has a market cap of $11.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -283.76 and a beta of 1.72.

Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The communications equipment provider reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.32 by ($0.34). The business had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. Viasat had a negative net margin of 0.73% and a positive return on equity of 1.58%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($0.02) earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Viasat Inc. will post -0.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Viasat

In other news, CEO Mark D. Dankberg sold 400,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.76, for a total transaction of $25,904,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,082,196 shares in the company, valued at $70,083,012.96. The trade was a 26.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Director Theresa Wise sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.00, for a total value of $172,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 11,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $759,000. This represents a 18.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 442,803 shares of company stock worth $28,944,520. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Viasat

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Viasat in the fourth quarter valued at about $830,000. South Dakota Investment Council grew its position in Viasat by 92.6% during the first quarter. South Dakota Investment Council now owns 336,056 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $15,391,000 after buying an additional 161,552 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL increased its stake in Viasat by 84.3% during the fourth quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 38,700 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,334,000 after acquiring an additional 17,700 shares during the period. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Viasat by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. now owns 84,000 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,895,000 after acquiring an additional 42,000 shares during the period. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new position in Viasat in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $2,757,000. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.