AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading 3% Higher – Time to Buy?

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) traded up 3% on Monday . The company traded as high as $198.60 and last traded at $197.23. 1,001,197 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 42% from the average session volume of 1,732,660 shares. The stock had previously closed at $191.42.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on AVAV. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 target price for the company. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, January 12th. BTIG Research decreased their target price on AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on AeroVironment from $325.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their target price on AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $318.78.

AeroVironment Stock Up 3.0%

The stock has a market cap of $9.85 billion, a PE ratio of -45.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 1.38. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $218.26 and a 200 day moving average of $279.70. 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 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.68 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $487.94 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.26%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 143.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.30 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 2.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In related news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total value of $42,504.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,231,340.88. This represents a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were 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 trade represents a 0.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 2,975 shares of company stock valued at $740,324 over the last three months. 0.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. ARK Investment Management LLC raised its position in AeroVironment by 28.9% during the 3rd quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 400,457 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $126,100,000 after buying an additional 89,697 shares during the last quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,393,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in AeroVironment by 550.7% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 178,204 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $56,115,000 after purchasing an additional 150,819 shares during the period. Keystone Investors PTE Ltd. acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,355,000. Finally, Rheos Capital Works Inc. acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,787,000. 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.