AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Price Down 6% on Insider Selling

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s share price fell 6% on Friday following insider selling activity. The company traded as low as $263.95 and last traded at $264.63. 1,111,473 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 31% from the average session volume of 1,613,096 shares. The stock had previously closed at $281.67.

Specifically, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total transaction of $68,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 50,251 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,819,025. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.95, for a total transaction of $127,475.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 50,501 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,875,229.95. The trade was a 0.98% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AVAV has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Friday, January 30th. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 price target on the stock. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased 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. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $390.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $367.00.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bull case: a Seeking Alpha deep dive highlights the BlueHalo acquisition, the firm’s LOCUST directed‑energy progress, a $1.1B funded / $3B unfunded backlog and ~93% 2026 revenue visibility — analysts there model a fair value near $290, supporting upside vs. recent prices. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum note: The Motley Fool reports AVAV “climbed 15%” recently, citing an unexpected catalyst and increased Wall Street attention — this type of momentum can attract short‑term buyers. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: New coverage: UBS initiated coverage with a “neutral” rating and a $259 price target (slightly below recent levels) — this provides more liquidity in analyst views but is unlikely to spark a major re‑rating on its own. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor access: AV’s CFO will appear at the Citizens Technology Conference (fireside chat March 2, to be webcast) — useful for incremental transparency but not an immediate earnings catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate: a Yahoo piece questions whether the recent ~33% pullback already prices in risk and examines DCF upside potential — highlights disagreement among investors on fair value, which can sustain volatility. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Critical take: a Seeking Alpha column titled “Shockingly Uninteresting” raises skeptical points on growth durability and excitement, which can reinforce selling pressure among more value‑oriented investors. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Noisy short‑interest reports: multiple feeds flagged a “large increase” in February short interest, but the published figures appear inconsistent/erroneous (zeros/NaN). Even so, headlines about rising shorts can trigger fear/stop‑loss selling and add to intraday downside.

AeroVironment Stock Down 6.0%

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 company has a market capitalization of $13.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -211.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.93 and a beta of 1.23. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $284.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $293.52.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 during 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 150.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.47 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AVAV. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in AeroVironment by 60.0% during the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC increased its holdings in AeroVironment by 7.8% in the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 498 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $157,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 4,046 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $979,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 3,709 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $897,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $261,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.