AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading 3.2% Higher – Time to Buy?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s share price traded up 3.2% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $156.54 and last traded at $154.24. 971,765 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 42% from the average daily volume of 1,672,938 shares. The stock had previously closed at $149.51.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AVAV has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wedbush assumed coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. Citizens Jmp cut their price objective on AeroVironment from $350.00 to $230.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 10th. KeyCorp decreased their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $295.00 to $220.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of AeroVironment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 5th. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $248.00 to $235.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $266.68.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $7.81 billion, a PE ratio of -41.91, a P/E/G ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a quick ratio of 3.59, a current ratio of 4.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $166.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $212.85.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The firm had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $555.97 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.61 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 133.3% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. Analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total value of $43,602.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 49,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Tema Etfs LLC purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. National Bank of Canada FI boosted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 230.3% in the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 109 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 90.0% in the 4th quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 133 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.