AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Up 4.2% – Time to Buy?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s stock price was up 4.2% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $235.98 and last traded at $229.80. Approximately 2,106,103 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 11% from the average daily volume of 1,904,910 shares. The stock had previously closed at $220.56.

More AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A $97.4 million U.S. Army contract and expansion of New Mexico manufacturing bolster near-term revenue visibility and production capacity, supporting upside to orders and execution. AeroVironment Bags $97.4 Million Army Contract
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple industry write-ups highlight AVAV as a direct beneficiary of rising defense spending and the shift to unmanned systems (Switchblade, Puma, Raven), reinforcing a structural growth narrative for the company. Unmanned Profits: The New Kings of the Modern Battlefield
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage previews cite stronger demand for Switchblade systems and growth from the BlueHalo acquisition—factors that could help AVAV meet raised revenue expectations if margins and supply chains hold. AeroVironment Q3 Earnings Loom: What Should Investors Do Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will present at the J.P. Morgan Industrials conference (March 18), which provides an opportunity for updated guidance and investor Q&A but is unlikely to move the stock materially before the March 10 earnings release. AeroVironment, Inc. to Present at J.P. Morgan 2026 Industrials Conference
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded AVAV to “strong sell” and several brokers (RBC, Robert W. Baird, Piper Sandler) have reduced targets or voiced caution—selling pressure and lower analyst sentiment can weigh on the stock absent corroborating operational beats. Zacks.com
• Negative Sentiment: A Pomerantz LLP investor investigation notice raises legal/recall risk and can spur short-term volatility and headline-driven selling. INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of AeroVironment, Inc. – AVAV
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings previews (Seeking Alpha, Zacks) flag a “1.4B problem,” supply-chain and cost pressures and highlight downside risk to margins — meaning the upcoming March 10 results and guidance are the biggest near-term risk. AeroVironment Q4 Preview: The $1.4B Problem (Downgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: Recent analyst downgrades, price-target cuts and a notable short-term share pullback have amplified downside momentum; if earnings or guidance disappoint, selling could accelerate. AeroVironment (AVAV) Falls More Steeply Than Broader Market: What Investors Need to Know

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on AeroVironment from $350.00 to $260.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. KeyCorp increased their target price on AeroVironment from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Citizens Jmp reiterated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $400.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Zacks Research lowered shares of AeroVironment from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $390.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $348.33.

AeroVironment Stock Up 4.2%

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 firm has a market capitalization of $11.47 billion, a P/E ratio of -183.84, a P/E/G ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 1.26. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $284.65 and its 200-day simple moving average is $292.75.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.43). The company had revenue of $472.51 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 quarterly revenue was up 150.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.47 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other AeroVironment news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total value of $367,232.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 17,301 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,359,847.60. This represents a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 4,589 shares of company stock worth $1,428,910. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% in the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

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.