VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Purchases New Holdings in Viasat Inc. $VSAT

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new position in Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 18,900 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,697,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Viasat in the second quarter worth about $1,863,374,000. California State Teachers Retirement System grew its stake in shares of Viasat by 8,886.4% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 12,015,500 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,079,112,000 after buying an additional 11,881,792 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its holdings in shares of Viasat by 2,821.7% in the fourth 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 buying an additional 3,112,670 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of Viasat during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $127,283,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 1,206,935 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Viasat

In related news, Director Richard A. Baldridge sold 223,542 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.62, for a total value of $18,021,956.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director John P. Stenbit sold 705 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.75, for a total transaction of $47,058.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 545 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $36,378.75. This trade represents a 56.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 244,291 shares of company stock worth $19,526,868. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have commented on VSAT shares. Barclays set a $49.00 price objective on Viasat in a research report on Friday, May 29th. B. Riley Financial boosted their target price on shares of Viasat from $94.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of Viasat in a report on Monday, June 29th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viasat in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $95.00 price objective on shares of Viasat in a report on Monday, August 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $90.67.

Viasat Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:VSAT opened at $74.31 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $75.25 and its 200 day moving average is $66.09. The stock has a market cap of $10.24 billion, a P/E ratio of -309.62 and a beta of 1.70. Viasat Inc. has a 52-week low of $26.10 and a 52-week high of $93.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23.

About Viasat

Viasat, Inc is a communications company that provides satellite-based connectivity and related services to consumers, businesses, governments and other organizations. The company develops and operates satellite networks, ground infrastructure and connectivity systems designed to deliver broadband, communications and data services in locations where terrestrial networks may be limited.

Viasat’s offerings include residential and community internet access, in-flight connectivity for commercial and business aviation, maritime communications, and connectivity solutions for government and defense customers.