What the institutional money is doing on VSAT right now — dark pool, options positioning, and where the news and the money disagree. Free.
News touts a strategic expansion, but off-exchange traders are net-short at elevated levels and no new bullish option positions appeared—money is not rushing to buy the story.
Positive news on defense demand, but dark-pool activity leans short and volume is only modestly elevated—institutional traders are not aggressively positioning for upside.
Bearish competitive headwind in the headlines, and dark-pool short activity is elevated—money and news align on caution, though positioning remains muted.
Generic ETF comparison with no direct Viasat signal; not actionable for this stock's positioning.
News frames space stocks as a recovery play with fresh government spending, but Viasat's off-exchange traders are net-short and no new bullish option bets have materialized—money is skeptical of the bounce narrative.
A divergence is when the news narrative and the institutional money flow point in opposite directions — a bearish headline while large call premium is bought, or heavy dark-pool selling under a bullish story. It signals the crowd and the desks may disagree.
Dark-pool volume — The share of trading executed off-exchange, at wholesalers and dark pools. About half of all US share volume prints there on an ordinary day, so the level by itself says almost nothing. What carries information is the distance from this name’s own recent norm, and whether the off-exchange size ran above its usual.
Off-exchange short share — How much of that off-exchange volume was sold short. The median across all listed names is about 49%, because wholesalers filling retail buy orders sell short and cover later. A reading near half is plumbing, not a bearish vote — compare it to the same name’s own 20-day norm.
Max pain — The price where the most options expire worthless — positioning often gravitates toward it near expiry.
Call wall / Put floor — Strikes with the heaviest call/put open interest — they often act as short-term resistance and support.
Put/Call ratio — Below ~0.7 leans bullish (more calls); above ~1 leans defensive (more puts).
