BTIG Research Reaffirms Buy Rating for AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV)

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by research analysts at BTIG Research in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $205.00 target price on the aerospace company’s stock. BTIG Research’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 45.60% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on AVAV. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $248.00 to $235.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Wolfe Research lowered shares of AeroVironment to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on AeroVironment from $305.00 to $229.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Wedbush started coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $250.00 price target for the company. Finally, Citizens Jmp reduced their price objective on AeroVironment from $350.00 to $230.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $255.47.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AVAV opened at $140.80 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $7.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -38.26, a P/E/G ratio of 5.15 and a beta of 1.41. AeroVironment has a 1-year low of $135.20 and a 1-year high of $417.86. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $159.17 and its 200 day moving average is $179.83. The company has a current ratio of 4.30, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The company had revenue of $480.49 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.95 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.32 EPS. AeroVironment’s quarterly revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that AeroVironment will post 3.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Brian Shackley sold 205 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total transaction of $41,381.30. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 7,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,592,271.68. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Stephen Page sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total value of $43,602.50. Following the sale, the director owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at $8,546,264.41. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders sold 705 shares of company stock valued at $132,979. Company insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AVAV. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. National Bank of Canada FI raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 230.3% during the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 109 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. grew its position in AeroVironment by 90.0% during the 4th quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 133 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter valued at about $44,000. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong earnings beat: Fiscal Q1 2027 adjusted EPS was $0.59, well above the $0.22 consensus estimate and up from $0.32 a year earlier. Revenue rose 5.7% to a record $480.5 million, exceeding analyst forecasts. AeroVironment Announces Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Backlog and bookings support visibility: Quarterly bookings reached approximately $700 million, producing a 1.4 book-to-bill ratio, while funded backlog climbed 37% year over year to a record $1.5 billion. Management said fiscal 2027 is off to a strong start. AVAV Stock Rebounds After-Hours on Record Sales and $1.5B Backlog
• Positive Sentiment: New growth opportunity in directed energy: Investors are responding to AeroVironment’s LOCUST high-energy laser counter-drone system, which management believes could become a major business and offers a low-cost-per-shot solution. The company also received its first international LOCUST order. AeroVironment Says Laser Weapons Could Become a Flagship Franchise
• Neutral Sentiment: Full-year outlook remains mixed: Fiscal 2027 EPS guidance of $3.02–$3.34 brackets the roughly $3.21 analyst consensus, while revenue guidance of about $2.1–$2.2 billion is near or slightly below expectations. This limits the impact of the quarterly beat on long-term estimates.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks remain: Despite the adjusted-profit beat, AeroVironment posted a GAAP net loss, and investors continue to question whether the company can convert its backlog into profitable growth. The stock’s elevated valuation and recent insider selling may add pressure. A law firm has also announced an investigation into the board, creating an additional overhang. Berger Montague Investigates AeroVironment Board

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.