Short Interest in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Rises By 20.3%

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 4,617,063 shares, a growth of 20.3% from the March 15th total of 3,838,211 shares. Approximately 9.3% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,399,138 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.3 days.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.55, for a total value of $88,921.80. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 16,026 shares in the company, valued at $3,598,638.30. This trade represents a 2.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total value of $53,130.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 49,751 shares in the company, valued at $10,573,082.52. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,725 shares of company stock worth $691,001. 0.81% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in AeroVironment by 60.0% during the 3rd quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new position in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its holdings in shares of 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. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of AVAV opened at $204.80 on Friday. AeroVironment has a 12 month low of $141.09 and a 12 month high of $417.86. The company’s fifty day moving average is $219.57 and its 200-day moving average is $281.22. The firm has a market cap of $10.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -47.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a quick ratio of 4.54, a current ratio of 5.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.68 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.26% and a negative net margin of 13.93%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 143.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.30 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. Equities analysts expect that AeroVironment will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 target price on the stock. Raymond James Financial upgraded AeroVironment from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Zacks Research downgraded AeroVironment from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. UBS Group decreased their price target on AeroVironment from $259.00 to $236.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC cut their price objective on AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $318.78.

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.