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

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) had its target price lowered by research analysts at UBS Group from $259.00 to $236.00 in a report released on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the aerospace company’s stock. UBS Group’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 6.51% from the company’s previous close.

AVAV has been the topic of a number of other reports. Piper Sandler lowered 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. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $486.00 to $429.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $415.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price target on AeroVironment from $400.00 to $330.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, KeyCorp decreased their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $330.00 to $295.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $334.00.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of AVAV opened at $221.57 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 5.08 and a quick ratio of 4.29. The firm has a market cap of $11.06 billion, a PE ratio of -177.26, a PEG ratio of 3.60 and a beta of 1.26. AeroVironment has a 1 year low of $102.25 and a 1 year high of $417.86. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $283.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $293.28.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total transaction of $377,620.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 51,001 shares in the company, valued at $19,258,997.62. This represents a 1.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total transaction of $50,184.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at $1,504,014.48. This represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 4,078 shares of company stock worth $1,301,482 in the last 90 days. 0.81% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AVAV. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 31.2% during the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 5,091 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,235,000 after purchasing 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 buying an additional 570 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth approximately $195,000. MidFirst Bank bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 45.5% in 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 period. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about 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

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.