AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Receives $318.78 Average Target Price from Analysts

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-four brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $318.7778.

AVAV has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings cut AeroVironment from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Zacks Research upgraded AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 price objective for the company.

Trending Headlines about AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment won a three-year, $43 million Department of War contract to integrate its PANTHER phased-array antenna system on SkyRange platforms, a win that strengthens its defense backlog and highlights demand for its hypersonic telemetry technology. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts noted that AVAV remains well below its recent highs and that the stock has been sliding for months, but the company still has a large backlog and bookings that could support longer-term fundamentals. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Technical coverage warned that AeroVironment could extend its move toward 52-week lows, reinforcing bearish sentiment as the shares remain under heavy pressure and far below their recent trading range. Article Title

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.55, for a total transaction of $88,921.80. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 16,026 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,598,638.30. This trade represents a 2.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 500 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.95, for a total value of $127,475.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 50,501 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,875,229.95. The trade was a 0.98% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,096 shares of company stock valued at $505,103. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AVAV. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC lifted its position 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 during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its position 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 worth $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AeroVironment Price Performance

Shares of AVAV stock opened at $168.86 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.43 billion, a PE ratio of -38.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.35. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $196.77 and a 200-day simple moving average of $258.98. The company has a current ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. AeroVironment has a twelve month low of $158.30 and a twelve month high of $417.86.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its quarterly 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). AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.26% and a negative net margin of 13.93%.The business had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.30 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 143.4% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that AeroVironment will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.