AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Down 5.9% – Should You Sell?
by Kim Johansen · The Markets DailyAeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) dropped 5.9% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $183.85 and last traded at $184.43. 867,457 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 54% from the average daily volume of 1,905,540 shares. The stock had previously closed at $195.91.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on AVAV shares. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $260.00 to $235.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Raymond James Financial upgraded AeroVironment from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 price target for the company. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Citizens Jmp reduced their price objective on AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $318.78.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on AVAV
AeroVironment Trading Down 5.9%
The stock has a market cap of $9.21 billion, a PE ratio of -42.50, a PEG ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 1.26. The company’s fifty day moving average is $255.37 and its 200-day moving average is $289.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 5.51 and a quick ratio of 4.54.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) last posted 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). 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%. AeroVironment’s revenue for the quarter was up 143.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.30 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. On average, analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Transactions at AeroVironment
In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the business’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 $53,130.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 49,751 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,573,082.52. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,794 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,231,340.88. This represents a 3.34% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 4,924 shares of company stock worth $1,486,038 over the last quarter. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Institutional Trading of AeroVironment
A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AVAV. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 1st quarter worth about $225,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. acquired a new position in AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter worth about $285,000. Creative Planning raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 121.3% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 6,653 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,896,000 after purchasing an additional 3,647 shares during the period. MAI Capital Management boosted its position in AeroVironment by 143.8% during the second quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 195 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc boosted its position in AeroVironment by 2.8% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 83,326 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $23,744,000 after purchasing an additional 2,294 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
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.