Is Viavi Solutions Stock a Buy or Sell After the CMO Dumped 3,551 Shares?

Paul McNab, EVP, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at Viavi Solutions (VIAV 6.42%), 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

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

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.