AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Down 4.5% – Time to Sell?

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) traded down 4.5% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $288.29 and last traded at $293.22. 1,445,028 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 23% from the average session volume of 1,879,758 shares. The stock had previously closed at $306.94.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on AVAV shares. Weiss Ratings raised AeroVironment from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday. JMP Securities increased their price target on AeroVironment from $325.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. New Street Research set a $365.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Zacks Research upgraded AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $295.00 to $389.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $378.06.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average price is $288.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $294.48. The company has a current ratio of 5.08, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The company has a market cap of $14.64 billion, a P/E ratio of -234.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 1.16.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.43). The firm had revenue of $472.51 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.16 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.42% and a negative net margin of 5.08%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 150.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.47 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total transaction of $367,232.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 17,301 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,359,847.60. This trade represents a 5.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total transaction of $377,620.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 51,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,258,997.62. This represents a 1.92% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 3,223 shares of company stock valued at $1,092,503. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 39.8% in the 4th quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 2,073 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $501,000 after buying an additional 590 shares during the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA grew its position in shares of AeroVironment by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 4,722 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,142,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares during the period. Golden State Equity Partners increased its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Golden State Equity Partners now owns 6,954 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,682,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. Veracity Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Veracity Capital LLC now owns 2,641 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $639,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. Finally, Kercheville Advisors LLC lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 138.5% in the 4th quarter. Kercheville Advisors LLC now owns 3,875 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $937,000 after purchasing an additional 2,250 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.