Is Viavi Solutions Stock a Buy or Sell After the CMO Dumped 3,551 Shares?
Key Points
CMO Paul McNab sold 3,551 shares for a transaction value of ~$117,000 on March 2, 2026.
This sale represented 16.33% of Mr. McNab’s direct holdings at the time, reducing direct ownership to 18,198 shares.
All shares sold are held directly; no indirect or derivative positions were reported following the transaction.
The transaction aligns with recent cadence and reflects a consistent wind-down of available capacity, with holdings now at 15.5% of levels held in August 2023.
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Paul McNab, EVP, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at Viavi Solutions (NASDAQ:VIAV), reported the sale of 3,551 shares of common stock in an open-market transaction on March 2, 2026, according to an SEC Form 4 filing.
Transaction summary
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Shares traded (direct) | 3,551 |
| Transaction value | $116,792.39 |
| Post-transaction shares (direct) | 18,198 |
| Post-transaction value (direct ownership) | $643,299.30 |
Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 reported price ($32.89); post-transaction value based on holdings valued at $643,299.30 using the March 2, 2026 close ($35.35).
Key questions
- How does this transaction compare to Mr. McNab’s historical selling patterns?
Since May of last year, Mr. McNab made six sales with a median size of 4,784 shares; the current sale of 3,551 shares is below this median but in line with the ongoing reduction in available holdings. - What proportion of Mr. McNab’s direct ownership was affected by this sale?
The transaction represented 16.33% of his direct holdings at the time, bringing his position down to 18,198 shares, which is 15.5% of his August 2023 starting balance. - Is there any evidence of indirect or derivative holdings remaining?
No; the filing confirms that all shares traded and retained are held directly, with no indirect or derivative securities reported in this transaction. - What is the market context for this sale?
The trade occurred as Viavi Solutions shares were priced at $32.89 on March 2, 2026, and the one-year total return as of March 1, 2026 was 165.74%, suggesting that the transaction provided liquidity amid elevated stock price levels.
Company overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Employees | 3,600 |
| Revenue (TTM) | $1.24 billion |
| Net income (TTM) | ($42.00 million) |
| Price (as of market close March 2, 2026) | $35.35 |
Company snapshot
- Viavi Solutions offers network test, monitoring, and assurance solutions across three segments: Network Enablement, Service Enablement, and Optical Security and Performance Products.
- It generates revenue by providing instruments, software, and services for network design, activation, optimization, and performance management, as well as optical security products.
- The company serves communications service providers, enterprises, network equipment manufacturers, OEMs, government agencies, and avionics customers globally.
Viavi Solutions is a leading provider of network testing and assurance solutions with a global customer base spanning telecom, enterprise, and government sectors. The company leverages a diversified product portfolio and technical expertise to address complex network performance and security needs.
Viavi Solutions' scale and long-standing industry presence support its competitive positioning in the communication equipment market.
What this transaction means for investors
The March 2 sale of 3,551 shares by CMO Paul McNab is not a red flag. He still retained over 18,000 shares in the company after the transaction, suggesting he is not in a rush to dispose of his holdings.
Mr. McNab’s sale came while Viavi Solutions stock was soaring. Shares hit a 52-week high of $35.61 on the day of his transaction, and the rising price was a likely catalyst for the disposition.
The stock is skyrocketing in 2026 with shares up about 85% this year alone through March 3. The recent jump up was driven by Viavi’s March 2 announcement that it successfully demonstrated the use of artificial intelligence on next generation 6G networks. AI has been a driver of sales growth for the company, which led to its rising share price.
However, this has resulted in a price-to-sales ratio exceeding six, which is a multi-year high. This suggests Viavi Solutions stock is expensive, making now a good time to sell for shareholders, but not an ideal moment to invest. Wait for the stock price to drop before deciding to buy.
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Robert Izquierdo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Viavi Solutions. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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