AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Up 1.4% – Should You Buy?
by Michael Walen · The Markets DailyAeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report)’s share price shot up 1.4% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $204.61 and last traded at $199.02. 1,049,516 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 46% from the average session volume of 1,939,224 shares. The stock had previously closed at $196.18.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of research firms have weighed in on AVAV. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $325.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. BTIG Research dropped their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on AeroVironment from $259.00 to $236.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. One investment 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 given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $318.78.
Read Our Latest Analysis on AVAV
AeroVironment Trading Down 5.9%
The company has a market cap of $9.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -42.50, a P/E/G ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a current ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $255.37 and its 200 day moving average price is $289.80.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.26%. The firm’s revenue was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.30 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current year.
Insider Activity
In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total value of $377,620.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 51,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,258,997.62. The trade was a 1.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,794 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,231,340.88. This trade represents a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 4,924 shares of company stock worth $1,486,038. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment
A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 100.0% during the third 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. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.
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.