Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Upgrades Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) to “Buy”

Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage presently has a $15.00 target price on the communications equipment provider’s stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 28.10% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $19.00 price objective on shares of Viasat in a report on Monday, February 10th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Viasat from $26.00 to $12.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. William Blair reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Viasat in a report on Friday, February 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on Viasat in a report on Friday, January 24th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $12.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Viasat from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $14.57.

Viasat Stock Up 4.6 %

NASDAQ:VSAT opened at $11.71 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.60, a current ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $9.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.97. Viasat has a 52 week low of $6.69 and a 52 week high of $26.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.49 and a beta of 1.38.

Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The communications equipment provider reported ($1.23) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.53) by ($0.70). Viasat had a negative return on equity of 8.37% and a negative net margin of 9.49%. Research analysts anticipate that Viasat will post -0.54 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Viasat

In other Viasat news, insider Cpp Investment Board Private H sold 3,750,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.00, for a total transaction of $33,750,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 4,795,334 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $43,158,006. This trade represents a 43.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 3.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its stake in Viasat by 7.0% in the fourth quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 86,102 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $733,000 after acquiring an additional 5,660 shares in the last quarter. Helium Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Viasat during the 4th quarter worth approximately $326,000. Continuum Advisory LLC increased its position in Viasat by 25.0% during the fourth quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 19,715 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $168,000 after buying an additional 3,940 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in Viasat by 43.0% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 149,070 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,269,000 after buying an additional 44,804 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Viasat in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $93,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Viasat

Viasat, Inc provides broadband and communications products and services worldwide. The company's Satellite Services segment offers satellite-based fixed broadband services, including broadband internet access and voice over internet protocol services to consumers and businesses; in-flight entertainment and aviation software services to commercial airlines and private business jets; satellite-based connectivity services; mobile broadband services, including satellite-based internet services to energy offshore vessels, cruise ships, consumer ferries, and yachts; and energy services, which include ultra-secure solutions IP connectivity, bandwidth-optimized over-the-top applications, industrial internet-of-things big data enablement, and industry-leading machine learning analytics.