AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading 2.7% Higher – Time to Buy?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) shot up 2.7% on Monday . The company traded as high as $191.75 and last traded at $189.26. 647,745 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 65% from the average session volume of 1,831,466 shares. The stock had previously closed at $184.36.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on AVAV. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 price target for the company. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price target on AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on AeroVironment from $389.00 to $315.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered their price target on AeroVironment from $335.00 to $315.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $486.00 to $429.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $318.78.

AeroVironment Stock Up 2.7%

The stock has a market capitalization of $9.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -43.61, a P/E/G ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a current ratio of 5.51. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $236.18 and its 200 day simple moving average is $287.60.

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 $0.68 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.26%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 143.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.30 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total value of $377,620.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 51,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,258,997.62. The trade was a 1.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, 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. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 4,724 shares of company stock worth $1,435,854. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake 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 valued at $1,235,000 after buying an additional 1,210 shares during the last quarter. Mengis Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 61.2% during the fourth quarter. Mengis Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,501 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $363,000 after purchasing an additional 570 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $195,000. MidFirst Bank bought a new position in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 45.5% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 6,084 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,472,000 after acquiring an additional 1,902 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.