On Dec. 10, 2025, Richard John Burns, Director at Viavi Solutions (VIAV 1.18%), directly sold 3,384 shares in an open-market transaction, as reported in the SEC Form 4 filing.
Transaction summary
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Shares sold (direct) | 3,384 |
| Transaction value | $63,483.84 |
| Post-transaction shares (direct) | 3,384 |
| Post-transaction value (direct ownership) | $64,972.80 |
Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 reported price ($18.76); post-transaction value based on Dec. 10, 2025 market close ($64,972.80).
Key questions
- What proportion of Burns's direct stake was sold in this transaction?
Burns disposed of exactly 50.00% of his direct holdings, reducing his direct position from 6,768 to 3,384 shares. - How does this transaction impact Burns's overall ownership in Viavi Solutions?
Following the sale, Burns's direct ownership stands at 3,384 shares, representing 0.0015% of outstanding shares as of the latest available data. - Was there any indirect or derivative activity associated with this transaction?
No, the transaction involved only direct share sales, with no involvement of indirect holdings, trusts, or derivatives. - What structural factors influenced the trade execution?
The sale was conducted under a pre-established Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, providing a systematic approach to disposition and aligning with reduced capacity after the transaction.
Company overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Revenue (TTM) | $1.15 billion |
| Net income (TTM) | $15.20 million |
| Employees | 3,600 |
| 1-year price change | 62.90% |
* 1-year price change calculated as of market close Dec. 10, 2025.
Company snapshot
- Provides network test, monitoring, and assurance solutions, including instruments, software, optical security products, and professional services across three business segments.
- Generates revenue primarily through sales of hardware and software solutions, recurring service contracts, and support offerings tailored for communications infrastructure and network optimization.
- Serves communications service providers, enterprises, network equipment manufacturers, government agencies, and customers in avionics and industrial sectors worldwide.
Viavi Solutions is a technology company specializing in network testing, monitoring, and optical security products, with a global customer base and a diversified business model. The company leverages its expertise in communication equipment to support network build-out, maintenance, and optimization for both service providers and enterprises.
What this transaction means for investors
Richard Burns sold Viavi shares at a time when the stock had surged. It had risen by around 85% over the previous year, and what was at that time a five-year high in the stock.
Admittedly, times are different for this stock, which was once a part of the dot-com era high-flyer JDS Uniphase. With that decline and a later spinoff of the optical business, the stock trades at over a 97% discount from that 2000 high.
That history seems long forgotten today, and likely has little to do with Burns' recent sale. Still, stocks in this industry have experienced their best performance in years amid the aggressive data center buildout created by the rapidly rising demand for AI. That likely explains the aforementioned five-year high.
NASDAQ: VIAV
Key Data Points
Additionally, it comes at a time when profitability has recovered. The 292 trailing P/E ratio reflects some of the past struggles, though a forward P/E ratio of around 29 closely approximates the S&P 500 average of 31. Although that is not typically a sell valuation, one can understand taking some profits after the run-up.
Glossary
Form 4: A required SEC filing disclosing insider trades of company stock by officers, directors, or significant shareholders.
Open-market transaction: A trade executed on a public exchange, not through private agreements or company-issued shares.
Direct holdings: Shares owned personally by an insider, not through intermediaries like trusts or family members.
Indirect holdings: Shares owned by an insider through entities such as trusts, family members, or controlled organizations.
Derivative activity: Transactions involving financial contracts whose value is based on underlying securities, such as options or warrants.
Rule 10b5-1 trading plan: A prearranged plan allowing insiders to buy or sell stock, helping avoid accusations of trading on nonpublic information.
Outstanding shares: The total number of a company's shares currently held by all shareholders, including insiders and the public.
Disposition: The act of selling or otherwise transferring ownership of a security or asset.
Capacity (in insider context): The amount of shares an insider is eligible to sell or hold directly.
Trust (in securities context): A legal entity holding assets on behalf of beneficiaries, sometimes used for indirect share ownership.
Pre-established plan: A trading schedule set up in advance to systematically buy or sell securities, often for compliance reasons.
TTM: The 12-month period ending with the most recent quarterly report.
