AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Up 6.6% – Still a Buy?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) shares rose 6.6% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $318.23 and last traded at $317.03. Approximately 1,923,722 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 11% from the average daily volume of 1,736,285 shares. The stock had previously closed at $297.41.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 price objective on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $400.00 target price on AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. New Street Research set a $365.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $267.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, AeroVironment currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $375.41.

AeroVironment Price Performance

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 stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $285.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $282.72. The company has a market capitalization of $15.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -253.62, a P/E/G ratio of 3.78 and a beta of 1.16.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued 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 positive return on equity of 3.42% and a negative net margin of 5.08%.The firm had revenue of $472.51 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.16 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.47 EPS. AeroVironment’s revenue for the quarter was up 150.7% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 998 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $399.74, for a total transaction of $398,940.52. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 19,324 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,724,575.76. This represents a 4.91% decrease in their position. The transaction 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 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 sale, the chief accounting officer 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. In the last quarter, insiders sold 2,222 shares of company stock valued at $746,592. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% during the 3rd 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. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased 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 worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the third quarter worth $25,000. ORG Partners LLC lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 296.0% during the second quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 99 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RMG Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment during the second quarter valued at $28,000. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.