AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Earns Overweight Rating from Analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) in a research report released on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm issued an overweight rating and a $320.00 target price on the aerospace company’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on AVAV. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $400.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of AeroVironment from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 price objective for the company. Finally, KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $367.00.

AeroVironment Stock Up 6.1%

NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $281.67 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $14.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -225.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.93 and a beta of 1.23. AeroVironment has a one year low of $102.25 and a one year high of $417.86. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $284.88 and a 200 day simple moving average of $293.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a current ratio of 5.08.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AeroVironment news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total transaction of $50,184.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. The trade was a 3.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.95, for a total transaction of $127,475.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 50,501 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,875,229.95. This represents a 0.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 4,089 shares of company stock valued at $1,285,160 over the last 90 days. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% in the 3rd quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its holdings 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 last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: J.P. Morgan initiated coverage with an Overweight / Buy stance and a material price target, a high‑profile endorsement that likely triggered buying and momentum flows. J.P. Morgan Initiates Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish research and commentary highlight the BlueHalo acquisition and LOCUST laser/system deployments as key growth drivers, projecting multi‑billion revenue runway and high revenue visibility for 2026—supporting above‑market upside scenarios. AeroVironment: Riding The Drone Boom And Laser Tech To New Heights
• Positive Sentiment: Several bullish analyst notes and upgrades (including Seeking Alpha pieces upgrading rating after a recent selloff) reinforce a narrative that the pullback created a buying opportunity tied to future free cash flow and BlueHalo synergies. Upgrade After Selloff
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS initiated coverage with a Neutral rating — this provides additional analyst context but is less catalyst‑positive than the J.P. Morgan start. UBS Initiates Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest filings in recent reports show 0 shares / NaN changes — this is almost certainly a reporting anomaly and not evidence of a real surge in short pressure, so it’s not an actionable market signal. (Treat short‑interest data as unreliable until corrected.)
• Neutral Sentiment: AeroVironment will present at the Citizens Technology Conference (CFO fireside chat on March 2); investor events can aid transparency but typically move the stock only if new guidance or details are disclosed. Conference Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: Director Stephen Page sold 500 shares (~$254.95 each). It’s a small, single transaction relative to his holdings and firmwide institutional ownership, so it’s a minor negative signal rather than a fundamental red flag. SEC Form 4

AeroVironment Company Profile

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.