UBS Group Cuts AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Price Target to $236.00

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) had its price objective dropped by stock analysts at UBS Group from $259.00 to $236.00 in a report released on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the aerospace company’s stock. UBS Group’s price objective points to a potential upside of 6.51% from the company’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of AeroVironment from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Citizens Jmp lowered their price target on AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 target price for the company. Piper Sandler dropped their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $375.00 to $325.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $334.00.

AeroVironment Price Performance

AVAV opened at $221.57 on Wednesday. AeroVironment has a 12-month low of $102.25 and a 12-month high of $417.86. The company has a market cap of $11.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -177.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.60 and a beta of 1.26. 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 stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $283.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $293.28.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.72 by ($0.08). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.08% and a positive return on equity of 3.42%. The business had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $487.94 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.30 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. Research analysts predict that AeroVironment will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In related news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total value of $50,184.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. This represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total transaction of $367,232.40. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 17,301 shares in the company, valued at $6,359,847.60. This represents a 5.46% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 4,078 shares of company stock worth $1,301,482. Corporate insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 31.2% during the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 5,091 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,235,000 after acquiring an additional 1,210 shares during the period. Mengis Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 61.2% in the 4th quarter. Mengis Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,501 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $363,000 after purchasing an additional 570 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth approximately $195,000. MidFirst Bank bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 45.5% during the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 6,084 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,472,000 after acquiring an additional 1,902 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: Analysts still bullish despite trimming targets — several firms lowered price targets but kept buy/overweight ratings, signaling continued confidence in AVAV’s longer‑term market position. (KeyCorp cut its PT to $295 but remains overweight; Needham, Citizens and Baird also trimmed PTs while keeping positive ratings.) Analyst Price Target Changes
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term market tailwinds remain: defense demand, counter‑drone needs and AI-enabled drone growth support a multiyear addressable market that analysts cite as a structural upside for AVAV. Counter-Drone Capabilities and Market Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Company materials available — full Q3 slide deck, press release and earnings call transcript were released for investors to dig into the details and management commentary on timing and contract issues. Q3 Slide Deck / Press Release
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 results missed expectations: revenue of ~$408M vs. ~\$488M expected and adjusted EPS of $0.64 vs. ~$0.72 expected; management cut FY‑2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.75–$3.10 (from $3.40–$3.55) and lowered revenue midpoint, driving the immediate sell‑off. Q3 Results & Guidance Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Contract uncertainty: reports flagged potential termination/uncertainty around a ~\$1.7B Space Force SCAR award — that risk increases revenue volatility and investor concern about near‑term backlog. SCAR Contract Uncertainty
• Negative Sentiment: Timing delays & government order disruptions: management cited delayed government orders (including impacts from a government shutdown period) as drivers of weaker-than-expected quarterly timing. Timing Issues / Government Order Delays
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/investor scrutiny: a Pomerantz law‑firm investigation was announced, which can add near‑term headline risk and potential litigation uncertainty for shareholders. Pomerantz Investigation

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.