Insider Selling: AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) CAO Sells 200 Shares of Stock

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were 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 approximately $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

AeroVironment Stock Up 5.9%

Shares of AVAV traded up $14.39 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $256.28. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 688,183 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,172,309. The company has a 50 day moving average of $289.12 and a two-hundred day moving average of $280.19. The company has a quick ratio of 4.29, a current ratio of 5.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm has a market cap of $12.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -204.65, a P/E/G ratio of 3.57 and a beta of 1.16. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 1-year low of $102.25 and a 1-year high of $417.86.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.43). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.08% and a positive return on equity of 3.42%. The company had revenue of $472.51 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $466.16 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.47 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 150.7% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on AVAV shares. Cantor Fitzgerald reduced their price objective on AeroVironment from $335.00 to $315.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Zacks Research raised AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 price target for the company. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on AeroVironment from $295.00 to $389.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $486.00 to $429.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $375.41.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. ORG Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 296.0% during the 2nd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 99 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. RMG Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its holdings in AeroVironment by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently 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.