AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Price Target Cut to $235.00 by Analysts at Robert W. Baird

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) had its target price decreased by research analysts at Robert W. Baird from $260.00 to $235.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the aerospace company’s stock. Robert W. Baird’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 6.06% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also commented on AVAV. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on AeroVironment from $375.00 to $325.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Friday, January 30th. KeyCorp lifted their target price on AeroVironment from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Raymond James Financial restated an “underperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $415.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, January 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $341.39.

AeroVironment Price Performance

AVAV stock opened at $221.57 on Wednesday. AeroVironment has a 52 week low of $102.25 and a 52 week high of $417.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.06 billion, a P/E ratio of -177.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.60 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $283.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $293.28. The company has a quick ratio of 4.29, a current ratio of 5.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.72 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $487.94 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 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.30 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. Analysts anticipate that AeroVironment will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 879 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $267.60, for a total value 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. This represents a 5.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $1,504,014.48. The trade was a 3.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 4,078 shares of company stock valued at $1,301,482 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in AeroVironment by 60.0% in the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the third quarter worth $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% during the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue jumped year‑over‑year and management highlighted strategic progress in product lines (counter‑drone, AI sensing). These fundamentals support long‑term demand as militaries increase drone/C‑UAS spending. How Is AeroVironment Expanding Its Counter-Drone Defense Capabilities?
• Neutral Sentiment: Company released the full Q3 presentation and earnings call materials — useful for parsing management commentary on order timing, backlog and SCAR next steps. Q3 Slide Deck / Press Release
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 results: adjusted EPS of $0.64 and revenue of $408.1M missed Wall Street estimates (EPS and revenue). Management cited timing issues that delayed orders — the shortfall and miss vs. consensus drove the initial selloff. AeroVironment Misses Q4 Sales Expectations
• Negative Sentiment: FY26 guidance was cut to $2.75–$3.10 in adjusted EPS (previously $3.40–$3.55) and revenue guidance centered ~ $1.9–$2.0B, both below Street expectations — a clear near‑term negative for sentiment and valuation. AeroVironment Cuts Guidance, Says Timing Issues Hurt Results
• Negative Sentiment: Contract uncertainty: reports cite potential termination or loss of a ~$1.7B Space Force SCAR contract, amplifying revenue visibility concerns and driving downside risk. AVAV Stock Plunges on Q3 Miss and $1.7B Contract Uncertainty
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst reaction: at least one sell‑side rating was cut from strong‑buy to hold after the “reality check,” adding selling pressure. Rating Downgrade Article
• Negative Sentiment: Investor/litigation risk: a law firm (Pomerantz) has opened an investigation, which can increase headline volatility and legal overhangs. Pomerantz Law Firm 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.