AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Price Down 5.7% – What’s Next?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s stock price fell 5.7% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $171.81 and last traded at $173.1320. 304,651 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 80% from the average session volume of 1,557,145 shares. The stock had previously closed at $183.69.

Trending Headlines about AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Negative Sentiment: A class action lawsuit has been filed against AeroVironment and certain officers, with multiple firms encouraging affected shareholders to seek lead-plaintiff status before the July 27 deadline. Pomerantz Law Firm Announces the Filing of a Class Action Against AeroVironment, Inc. and Certain Officers – AVAV
• Negative Sentiment: The lawsuits and alerts allege investor harm tied to AeroVironment’s reliance on a single-vendor bespoke contract, which reportedly became vulnerable when the Space Force shifted toward multi-vendor commercial solutions. AVAV Shareholder Alert: AeroVironment, Inc. Securities Class Action Lawsuit – Investors Should Contact SueWallSt
• Negative Sentiment: Several firms, including Rosen, The Gross Law Firm, Schall, Faruqi & Faruqi, Bragar Eagel & Squire, and DJS Law Group, issued near-identical notices reminding investors of the pending class action and lead-plaintiff deadline, reinforcing legal risk sentiment around the name. ROSEN, GLOBAL INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages AeroVironment, Inc. Investors to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – AVAV

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on AVAV. Clear Str raised AeroVironment to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $260.00 to $235.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Wall Street Zen raised AeroVironment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 7th. Citizens Jmp decreased their target price on AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised AeroVironment from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $318.78.

AeroVironment Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $8.52 billion, a P/E ratio of -39.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.35. The business has a 50-day moving average of $184.20 and a 200 day moving average of $234.94. The company has a current ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.31, for a total value of $40,577.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 49,251 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,993,929.81. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, 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 business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total value of $42,504.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,231,340.88. The trade was a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 950 shares of company stock valued at $185,534 over the last ninety days. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. 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.