AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-four ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have given a hold recommendation, seventeen have assigned a buy recommendation and three have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $277.3684.

Several equities analysts have recently commented on AVAV shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Raymond James Financial raised shares of AeroVironment from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. KeyCorp dropped their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $295.00 to $220.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, June 26th. Citizens Jmp reissued a “market outperform” rating and set a $350.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $248.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total transaction of $43,602.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 49,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,546,264.41. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 750 shares of company stock worth $133,502 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Groupama Asset Managment purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter valued at $314,890,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth $94,655,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 24,798.7% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 315,716 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $99,416,000 after purchasing an additional 314,448 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 22,773.4% during the 4th quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 261,214 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $63,185,000 after purchasing an additional 260,072 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 4,770.1% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 260,207 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $62,941,000 after purchasing an additional 254,864 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment won a $500 million U.S. Army / Department of Defense contract for counter-drone systems, which traders see as a major validation of its anti-drone technology and a meaningful revenue opportunity. Why Is AeroVironment (AVAV) Stock Rocketing Higher Today
• Positive Sentiment: The company also recently posted blockbuster fiscal Q4 results, which reinforced the bullish view that demand for its drones and counter-drone systems is accelerating. AVAV Stock Skyrockets as AeroVironment Reports Blockbuster Q4 Earnings Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators are highlighting the company’s geopolitical tailwind from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and rising military demand for anti-drone tools, which supports the stock’s longer-term growth story. A Longlasting Russia-Ukraine War Creates a Catalyst to Buy AeroVironment Stock Now
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage sentiment has also improved, with Wedbush upgrading AVAV and Piper Sandler reiterating an overweight rating with a higher target, suggesting Wall Street sees more upside after the contract win. Wedbush upgrade news
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also unusual call-option buying in AVAV, which signals heightened trader interest but does not by itself change fundamentals. Traders Purchase Large Volume of AeroVironment Call Options (NASDAQ:AVAV)
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms announced securities-fraud class action deadlines tied to prior disclosures, adding legal noise and a potential liability overhang for investors. AVAV FINAL DEADLINE: ROSEN… Securities Class Action

AeroVironment Stock Performance

AVAV opened at $190.89 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $174.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $223.52. The company has a market capitalization of $9.66 billion, a P/E ratio of -51.87, a PEG ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.39. AeroVironment has a 52 week low of $135.20 and a 52 week high of $417.86. The company has a quick ratio of 4.54, a current ratio of 4.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its earnings results on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.71% and a negative net margin of 9.00%.The business had revenue of $641.62 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $555.97 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.61 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 133.3% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. Analysts forecast that AeroVironment will post 3.43 earnings per share for the current year.

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.