AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Down 2.3% – Here’s Why

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) dropped 2.3% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $308.53 and last traded at $312.12. Approximately 1,283,592 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 37% from the average daily volume of 2,041,058 shares. The stock had previously closed at $319.63.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on AVAV. KeyCorp set a $285.00 target price on AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $267.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Cantor Fitzgerald cut their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $335.00 to $315.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $375.41.

AeroVironment Trading Down 2.3%

The business has a 50-day moving average price of $286.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $292.22. The company has a quick ratio of 4.29, a current ratio of 5.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.58 billion, a P/E ratio of -249.70, a PEG ratio of 4.88 and a beta of 1.16.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.43). AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.42% and a negative net margin of 5.08%.The business had revenue of $472.51 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.16 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.47 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 150.7% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. Analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In related news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total value of $367,232.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 17,301 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,359,847.60. This trade represents a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total value of $377,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 51,001 shares in the company, valued at $19,258,997.62. The trade was a 1.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,223 shares of company stock worth $1,092,503. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% in the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its stake in AeroVironment by 7.8% in the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 498 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $157,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised its stake in AeroVironment by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 60.3% during the 2nd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 117 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amalgamated Bank boosted its position in AeroVironment by 0.6% during the second quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 8,023 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $2,286,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

About AeroVironment

AeroVironment, Inc (NASDAQ:AVAV) is a technology company specializing in unmanned aerial systems (UAS), tactical missiles and precision loitering munitions, electric vehicle charging and scalable energy systems. Headquartered in Monrovia, California, the company develops solutions for defense, public safety and commercial markets. Their offerings include small UAS for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as advanced weapons systems designed to meet the needs of modern military operations.

The company’s unmanned aerial systems portfolio features platforms such as the Raven, Puma and Switchblade series, which are deployed by the U.S.