AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Up 6.5% – Time to Buy?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s share price was up 6.5% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $222.40 and last traded at $210.07. Approximately 2,434,311 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 40% from the average daily volume of 1,741,996 shares. The stock had previously closed at $197.23.

Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Successful shipboard demonstration of the palletized LOCUST® Laser Weapon System aboard USS George H.W. Bush highlights AV’s directed‑energy, platform‑agnostic capability and validates prospects for naval and multi‑domain deployments. AV Successfully Demonstrates LOCUST Laser Weapon System Aboard USS George H.W. Bush
• Positive Sentiment: Won a $14.6M U.S. Army production contract for the VAPOR® Compact Long Endurance (CLE) UAS (supports Army’s Medium Range Reconnaissance) — a concrete near‑term revenue and backlog driver. Army Selects AV’s VAPOR® CLE for Medium Range Reconnaissance Program
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/media narratives and industry writeups highlight AVAV’s expansion into space systems, electronic warfare, secure communications and directed energy — diversification that can support larger, higher‑margin programs and lift investor sentiment. How Is AVAV Expanding Its Space and Directed Energy Capabilities?
• Neutral Sentiment: Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares under a pre‑arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plan (small dollar amount vs. his holdings); procedural insider liquidity but not a clear signal of company deterioration. SEC Form 4 — Stephen F. Page
• Negative Sentiment: Reports indicate materially higher short interest in AVAV; rising shorts can increase downside pressure and volatility if sentiment or macro conditions shift. AeroVironment, Inc. Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on AVAV shares. Needham & Company LLC lowered their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of AeroVironment from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 target price on the stock. BTIG Research lowered their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $325.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $318.78.

AeroVironment Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 5.51 and a quick ratio of 4.54. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $216.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $278.56. The company has a market capitalization of $10.49 billion, a P/E ratio of -48.40, a PEG ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 1.38.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by ($0.04). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.26%. The firm had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $487.94 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.30 earnings per share. The firm’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, equities analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.29, for a total transaction of $49,322.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 49,501 shares in the company, valued at $9,766,052.29. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total transaction of $42,504.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,231,340.88. This trade represents a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 2,975 shares of company stock worth $740,324 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AVAV. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% in 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 during the period. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% in the third 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 period. 86.38% of the stock is currently 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.