ViaSat, Inc. (VSAT) Stock Price & How to Invest

Last updated July 2026

Short answer

You can invest in Viasat (VSAT) by buying shares or fractional shares at any major broker, through an ETF that holds it, or as one holding in a thematic basket. Viasat is a high-risk, debt-heavy satellite-communications turnaround serving aviation (in-flight Wi-Fi), government and defense, and broadband from geostationary satellites, enlarged by its 2023 Inmarsat acquisition. Its central challenge is disruption from low-Earth-orbit rivals SpaceX Starlink and Amazon Kuiper, which offer lower latency and aggressive pricing.

VSAT stock price

As of 2026-07-30, ViaSat, Inc. (VSAT) last closed at $77.60, up 372.3% over the past year. Over the past 52 weeks it has traded between $16.43 and $89.81.

VSAT last close
$77.60
1 day
+10.56%
1 month
-13.60%
1 year
+372.31%
52-week range
$16.43 to $89.81
Last close
2026-07-30

Prices are daily closing prices from Yahoo Finance and may be delayed. For the live quote, check your broker or ViaSat, Inc.'s investor relations page. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.

What does ViaSat, Inc. (VSAT) do?

Viasat is a satellite communications company that provides broadband internet and secure connectivity from space. It operates geostationary satellites that beam internet to homes, businesses, aircraft, ships, and government and military users in places where terrestrial networks do not reach. Its largest and best-known business is in-flight connectivity (IFC): Viasat provides the Wi-Fi on many commercial airlines. In 2023 it acquired Inmarsat, a major satellite operator, dramatically expanding its global maritime, aviation, and government communications footprint, but also loading the balance sheet with substantial debt. Viasat serves three broad markets: aviation (in-flight Wi-Fi), government and defense (secure, resilient communications and cybersecurity), and commercial fixed and mobile broadband. The company designs its own satellites and ground systems. Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, Viasat sits in a capital-intensive industry now being disrupted by low-Earth-orbit constellations like SpaceX's Starlink, making its competitive positioning and debt load central to its investment story.

What's driving ViaSat, Inc. (VSAT)?

1. In-flight connectivity leadership.

Viasat is a leading provider of in-flight Wi-Fi to commercial airlines, with a large installed base and multi-year contracts. As passengers increasingly expect connectivity and airlines adopt free Wi-Fi as a differentiator, the number of connected aircraft and data consumed per flight can grow, supporting a recurring, contracted revenue stream across the aviation segment.

2. Government and defense demand.

Viasat's government segment provides secure, resilient, and cyber-hardened communications to defense and intelligence customers, demand that is steady and supported by rising military spending on connectivity and space resilience. This higher-margin, less cyclical business diversifies Viasat away from consumer broadband and adds contracted, mission-critical revenue.

3. Inmarsat scale and global L-band.

The Inmarsat acquisition expanded Viasat's global maritime, aviation, and safety-services footprint and added valuable L-band spectrum and a worldwide customer base. Combined, the two networks offer broader coverage and cross-selling opportunities, and management targets cost and revenue synergies that, if realized, improve cash flow and help service the enlarged debt.

What are the risks to ViaSat, Inc. (VSAT)?

Viasat's central risk is competition from low-Earth-orbit (LEO) constellations, especially SpaceX's Starlink and Amazon's Kuiper, which offer lower latency and aggressive pricing across aviation, maritime, and consumer broadband, threatening Viasat's geostationary model. The Inmarsat deal left Viasat with a heavy debt load, so deleveraging depends on synergies and free cash flow that are not guaranteed. Satellites are enormously capital-intensive and carry launch and in-orbit failure risk; Viasat has experienced satellite anomalies that impaired capacity. Consumer fixed broadband is in structural decline against fiber and LEO. The stock has been volatile and pressured by these structural concerns. Execution on integration, the next-generation ViaSat-3 fleet, and debt reduction all carry meaningful uncertainty.

What is the ViaSat, Inc. (VSAT) forecast?

10 analysts publish price targets on VSAT, averaging $94.14 against a $71.04 price as of July 2026, or +32.5%. The published targets run from $49.00 to $140.00, a wide spread, and the ratings split 9 buy, 2 hold, 0 sell. Over the last six months there have been 6 raises and 0 cuts among the published actions. A price target is what an analyst published on a date, not a prediction, and sell-side ratings skew positive across the whole market.

Read the full VSAT forecast and price target for the target table, the recent rating actions by firm, and how the consensus has shifted.

Is VSAT a buy or a sell?

We give no verdict on ViaSat, Inc.. Both cases are real, which is why the question is contested at all, so here is the strongest version of each.

The case for buying. In-flight connectivity leadership. Viasat is a leading provider of in-flight Wi-Fi to commercial airlines, with a large installed base and multi-year contracts. The most optimistic published target, $140.00, assumes this works close to its best case.

The case against. Viasat's central risk is competition from low-Earth-orbit (LEO) constellations, especially SpaceX's Starlink and Amazon's Kuiper, which offer lower latency and aggressive pricing across aviation, maritime, and consumer broadband, threatening Viasat's geostationary model. The most pessimistic target, $49.00, is roughly what VSAT is worth if this bites instead.

Read the full bull and bear case on VSAT, including what would have to change to break either one. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

How is ViaSat, Inc. (VSAT) valued? (approximate, early 2026)

A simple financial snapshot. These are approximations and refresh quarterly; for current figures see ViaSat, Inc.'s investor relations page or your broker.

  • Revenue (TTM): ~$4.5 billion
  • Adjusted EBITDA: ~$1.5 billion
  • Operating margin: low single digits (GAAP, pressured by D&A and interest)
  • Net debt: elevated post-Inmarsat (multiple turns of EBITDA)
  • GAAP profitability: intermittent / loss-making at times
  • Free cash flow: constrained by heavy capex and interest
  • Market cap: ~$2-3 billion

Viasat trades at a low multiple relative to revenue and EBITDA, reflecting its heavy debt, capital intensity, and the structural threat from LEO constellations. The valuation embeds skepticism about deleveraging and competitive positioning. Bulls view it as a deep-value, asset-rich turnaround on EBITDA and government revenue; bears see secular disruption and balance-sheet risk.

Which ETFs hold ViaSat, Inc. (VSAT)?

If you want VSAT exposure as part of a larger bundle rather than directly, these ETFs hold it meaningfully. Weights are approximate and refresh quarterly.

ETFName% in VSATExpense ratio
AVUVAvantis US Small Cap Value ETF~1.4%0.25%
IJRiShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF~0.6%0.06%
IWNiShares Russell 2000 Value ETF0.66%0.24%
WARPVanEck Space ETF5.23%0.50%
UFOProcure Space ETF~5.9%0.75%

Who competes with ViaSat, Inc. (VSAT)?

LEO broadband constellations

SpaceX's Starlink is the primary disruptor across aviation, maritime, and consumer broadband, with Amazon's Kuiper emerging. Their low-latency, lower-cost service pressures Viasat's geostationary model directly.

Satellite operators (GEO/MSS)

Competes with SES, Intelsat, EchoStar/Hughes, Eutelsat (which merged with OneWeb), and Telesat in geostationary and mobile-satellite services for broadband and connectivity.

Aviation and government connectivity

In in-flight Wi-Fi, competes with Intelsat (formerly Gogo's commercial aviation business), Panasonic Avionics, and SES. In government and defense communications, competes with traditional defense primes and other secure-comms providers.

What stocks are similar to ViaSat, Inc. (VSAT)?

Other names that sit close to VSAT: same theme, named as a direct competitor, or held beside it in the same funds. Each entry says which. Worth a look if you are thinking about diversification within a thesis rather than concentration on one ticker.

How to invest in ViaSat, Inc. (VSAT)

There are three common ways to get VSAT exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) directly at any major broker. Hold an ETF that includes it (AVUV, IJR, IWN), which spreads the position across many companies. Or build it into a focused thematic portfolio, so VSAT sits alongside other stocks that express the same thesis.

Walnut takes the portfolio route. Describe a thesis where VSAT fits (for example “AI infrastructure” or “dividend-growth large-caps”) and the AI proposes 5 to 6 constituents with target weights. You review the plan and fund it through your own broker when you're ready.

New to this? Start with how to invest in stocks, see how to analyze a stock with AI, or compare the best AI stock analyzers.

The bottom line on ViaSat, Inc. (VSAT)

Viasat (VSAT) is a deep-value, asset-rich situation whose case hinges on Inmarsat synergies, steady government revenue, and deleveraging against heavy debt, capital intensity, and satellite risk. In a portfolio it behaves as a volatile, speculative turnaround whose low multiple reflects skepticism about competing with Starlink rather than a stable compounder.

More on ViaSat, Inc. (VSAT)

Whether VSAT is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, what would have to go right, and the risks in is VSAT a buy or a sell?, and where the stock could go from here in the VSAT stock forecast.

For income investors, whether VSAT pays a dividend and how the payout looks is covered in does VSAT pay a dividend? And to weigh VSAT against a peer, read the full side-by-side comparisons: VSAT vs AMZN and VSAT vs GEO.

Wondering how VSAT fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.

Investing in ViaSat, Inc. with AI

Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how VSAT fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.

FAQ

What is Viasat's ticker symbol?

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VSAT, listed on Nasdaq. Officially Viasat, Inc., headquartered in Carlsbad, California. It trades during US market hours and is available at every major US brokerage.

What does Viasat do?

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Viasat is a satellite communications company. It provides broadband internet and secure connectivity from geostationary satellites to airlines (in-flight Wi-Fi), ships, governments and militaries, and fixed and mobile broadband customers, especially where terrestrial networks do not reach.

Who are Viasat's main competitors?

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Most importantly SpaceX's Starlink and the emerging Amazon Kuiper in low-Earth-orbit broadband. Among satellite operators, SES, Intelsat, EchoStar/Hughes, and Eutelsat/OneWeb. In aviation Wi-Fi, Intelsat (formerly Gogo) and Panasonic Avionics.

Did Viasat acquire Inmarsat?

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Yes. Viasat completed its acquisition of Inmarsat in 2023, greatly expanding its global maritime, aviation, and government satellite footprint and adding L-band spectrum. The deal also added substantial debt, making deleveraging a key focus for the combined company.

Is Viasat profitable?

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Viasat generates substantial adjusted EBITDA but its GAAP results are often pressured or loss-making due to heavy depreciation, satellite capex, and interest expense on its post-Inmarsat debt. Profitability and free cash flow depend on synergies and deleveraging.

Why does Viasat have so much debt?

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The 2023 Inmarsat acquisition was largely debt-funded, leaving Viasat with leverage of several turns of EBITDA. Reducing that debt through cash flow and synergies is central to the investment case, and the balance sheet is a key risk factor.

Is Viasat a defense stock?

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Partly. Viasat's government and defense segment provides secure, resilient communications and cybersecurity to military and intelligence customers, a steady and strategically important business, but a large share of revenue still comes from commercial aviation and broadband.

What is in-flight connectivity?

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In-flight connectivity (IFC) is the Wi-Fi and data service provided to passengers and crew on aircraft via satellite. Viasat is a leading IFC provider to commercial airlines, making it one of the company's most visible and important business lines.

Which thematic baskets typically include Viasat?

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Space and satellite-communications baskets, defense-and-aerospace themes, and occasionally deep-value or turnaround baskets. It also appears in connectivity-infrastructure themes alongside other satellite operators.

What is Viasat's market cap?

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Approximately $2-3 billion as of early 2026, a relatively small market cap that reflects its heavy debt, capital intensity, and the competitive pressure from low-Earth-orbit constellations like Starlink.

Is Viasat a good stock to buy?

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Descriptive, not a recommendation. The bull case rests on in-flight connectivity leadership, steady government and defense demand, and Inmarsat synergies and deleveraging, while the bear case cites Starlink disruption, a heavy debt load, capital intensity, and satellite risk. Whether it fits a portfolio depends on an investor's tolerance for high-risk, high-volatility situations. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.

Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Financial figures on this page are approximations; always verify current numbers with ViaSat, Inc.'s investor relations page or your broker before making investment decisions.