Royal Bank Of Canada Cuts AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Price Target to $325.00

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) had its target price decreased by Royal Bank Of Canada from $375.00 to $325.00 in a report released on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. Royal Bank Of Canada currently has an outperform rating on the aerospace company’s stock.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Citizens Jmp reiterated a “market outperform” rating and set a $400.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $350.00 to $260.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. UBS Group began coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $259.00 price target on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $486.00 to $429.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $348.33.

AeroVironment Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $220.56 on Tuesday. AeroVironment has a twelve month low of $102.25 and a twelve month high of $417.86. 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 $11.01 billion, a PE ratio of -176.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 1.26. The company’s 50 day moving average is $284.65 and its 200 day moving average is $292.75.

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

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 879 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $267.60, for a total transaction of $235,220.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 16,422 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,394,527.20. The trade was a 5.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,504,014.48. The trade was a 3.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 4,589 shares of company stock valued at $1,428,910 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Groupama Asset Managment acquired a new stake in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth $314,890,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 14.3% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,478,114 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $991,089,000 after acquiring an additional 433,830 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth approximately $94,655,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its holdings 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. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of AeroVironment by 75.6% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 609,019 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $173,540,000 after purchasing an additional 262,239 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment won a new $97.4 million U.S. Army contract, which supports near‑term revenue visibility and reinforces defense-demand momentum. AeroVironment Bags $97.4 Million Army Contract As Defense Spending Momentum Builds
• Positive Sentiment: Management announced a ~ $30 million domestic manufacturing expansion (Albuquerque) to scale production — a positive signal that the company expects sustained, higher-volume orders. AeroVironment (AVAV) Rebounds 9.6% on Manufacturing Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies reiterated a Buy rating (high target retained), offering analyst support that can limit downside from headline volatility. Jefferies Reiterates “Buy” Rating for AeroVironment
• Positive Sentiment: Company-provided updates on the Space Force SCAR work briefly lifted sentiment by suggesting the situation may be resolvable rather than a lost program. AeroVironment shares rise on update for Space Force SCAR contract
• Neutral Sentiment: AVAV will present at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference (March 18) — an opportunity for management to clarify guidance and contract progress (near‑term informational event). AeroVironment, Inc. to Present at J.P. Morgan 2026 Industrials Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Several analysts trimmed price targets (RBC, Piper, Canaccord, Baird) but many kept buy/outperform views — signaling disagreement on near‑term execution risk vs. long‑term demand. Canaccord Slashes AeroVironment Target From $400 to $330 but Holds Buy
• Negative Sentiment: Raymond James downgraded AVAV to Underperform and commentary about the SCAR re‑competition triggered a sharp selloff earlier in the week — this downgrade is a primary driver of today’s weakness. AeroVironment shares dive after Raymond James downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Space Force reopened/rea llocated bidding on the ~ $1.4B SCAR program, creating execution and revenue timing uncertainty around AeroVironment’s largest recorded contract — the principal near‑term risk. AeroVironment Faces SCAR Contract Test While New Orders Support Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling (director sold 250 shares) and a spate of analyst target cuts add to sentiment pressure even as institution ownership remains high. SEC Form 4 – Insider Sale

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.