AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Given New $305.00 Price Target at Jefferies Financial Group

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) had its target price decreased by analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $390.00 to $305.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the aerospace company’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price target suggests a potential upside of 40.37% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on AeroVironment from $389.00 to $315.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. KeyCorp cut their target price on AeroVironment from $330.00 to $295.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. BTIG Research reduced their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $318.78.

AeroVironment Stock Up 4.6%

Shares of AeroVironment stock traded up $9.55 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $217.28. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,036,601 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,991,419. The company has a market capitalization of $10.85 billion, a P/E ratio of -50.18, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.26. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $282.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $292.68. AeroVironment has a one year low of $102.25 and a one year high of $417.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a current ratio of 5.08.

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 $0.68 by ($0.04). AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.52% and a negative net margin of 13.93%.The business had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.30 EPS. 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. On average, research analysts forecast that AeroVironment will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total transaction of $75,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 50,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,000,300. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the business’s 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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 4,474 shares of company stock valued at $1,390,404 in the last ninety days. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Groupama Asset Managment purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at approximately $314,890,000. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of AeroVironment by 14.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,478,114 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $991,089,000 after buying an additional 433,830 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter valued at $94,655,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 24,798.7% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 315,716 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $99,416,000 after acquiring an additional 314,448 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in AeroVironment by 75.6% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 609,019 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $173,540,000 after acquiring an additional 262,239 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat argues the pullback is a longer‑term value entry: technicals show a near‑term bottom, institutions have been net buyers and the firm highlights upside if backlog execution and commercial expansion rebound. AeroVironment Touches Down On Value Opportunity
• Positive Sentiment: Some sell‑side firms trimmed price targets but kept bullish ratings (BTIG kept a “buy” rating with a lower PT), indicating analysts still see meaningful upside if execution resumes. BTIG price target note (Benzinga)
• Neutral Sentiment: Q3 results were mixed: revenue rose ~143% YoY to ~$408M (strong growth) but missed top‑line and adjusted EPS estimates; FY26 EPS guidance was lowered to $2.75–$3.10, beneath consensus — hurt near‑term expectations but left longer‑term market opportunity intact. Q3 results and call
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple analysts cut price targets (KeyBanc, Stifel, RBC, UBS, etc.) — ratings largely remain Overweight/Buy but with lower targets, producing mixed medium‑term signals for holders and traders. Analyst reactions and target cuts
• Negative Sentiment: Contract risk: reports about the SCAR/Space Force stoppage removed ~$1.4–1.7B from unfunded backlog and created near‑term revenue visibility concerns, a core reason investors shaved the stock. SCAR contract uncertainty
• Negative Sentiment: Financing/leverage risk: disclosure of $727M in new notes raises leverage, tightens covenants and elevates liquidity risk — an added balance‑sheet consideration for investors already jittery about visibility. Notes raise and leverage risk
• Negative Sentiment: Headline/insider/legal risk: a Pomerantz investor probe was announced and the CFO disclosed a modest 396‑share sale — both increase short‑term headline risk and may pressure sentiment if litigation or more insider selling follows. Pomerantz investigation CFO 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.