Bank of America Cuts AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Price Target to $185.00

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) had its target price cut by Bank of America from $225.00 to $185.00 in a report issued on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the aerospace company’s stock.

AVAV has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $225.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on AeroVironment from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Wolfe Research cut AeroVironment to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, AeroVironment has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $247.79.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of AVAV stock opened at $146.71 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $157.41 and a 200-day moving average of $178.20. The company has a market cap of $7.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -62.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a quick ratio of 3.33, a current ratio of 4.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. AeroVironment has a 52 week low of $135.20 and a 52 week high of $417.86.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.77% and a positive return on equity of 4.04%. The business had revenue of $480.49 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.95 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.32 earnings per share. AeroVironment’s revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that AeroVironment will post 3.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.98, for a total transaction of $47,995.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 48,503 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,311,605.94. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Brian Shackley sold 205 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total value of $41,381.30. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,592,271.68. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capital Analysts LLC lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 16.8% during the second quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 2,019 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $333,000 after purchasing an additional 291 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter worth about $59,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in AeroVironment by 31.4% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 6,084 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,004,000 after purchasing an additional 1,455 shares in the last quarter. Nykredit A S purchased a new stake in AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter valued at about $176,000. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its stake in AeroVironment by 119.9% in the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 387 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $64,000 after buying an additional 211 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record results and backlog: Fiscal Q1 FY2027 revenue increased 5.7% year over year to a record $480.5 million, while adjusted earnings of $0.59 per share exceeded consensus estimates. Funded backlog rose 37% to approximately $1.5 billion, and the 1.4 book-to-bill ratio points to solid future demand. AeroVironment’s Record Backlog and Earnings Beat Fuel Recovery Case
• Positive Sentiment: LOCUST international expansion: AeroVironment received its first international purchase order for its LOCUST directed-energy counter-drone system, valued at more than $50 million. Management said laser weapons could become a flagship franchise, with low operating costs potentially supporting broader adoption. AeroVironment Secures First International Order for LOCUST
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains: JPMorgan raised its target to $210 and Citizens JMP maintained an Outperform rating with a $230 target after the earnings report, reflecting optimism about autonomous systems demand and a second-half production ramp.
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance was maintained but not raised: AeroVironment reaffirmed fiscal 2027 earnings guidance of $3.02–$3.34 per share. However, full-year revenue guidance of approximately $2.18 billion at the midpoint was slightly below analyst expectations, tempering the earnings beat.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution concerns: Analysts note that growth is moderating, profitability remains pressured, and the stock still carries a premium valuation despite its substantial decline from its 12-month high. Investors are also watching the company’s ability to scale LOCUST and other programs efficiently.
• Negative Sentiment: Price-target cut weighs on sentiment: Bank of America retained a Buy rating but lowered its target from $225 to $185, signaling reduced near-term upside expectations and contributing to the stock’s decline.

AeroVironment Company Profile

AeroVironment, Inc is a defense technology company that develops and produces unmanned aircraft systems, loitering munitions, counter-unmanned aircraft systems and related robotic technologies. Its products are designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, precision strike, force protection and tactical communications applications.

The company’s portfolio includes the Raven, Puma and Wasp small unmanned aircraft systems; the JUMP 20 vertical takeoff and landing aircraft; and the Switchblade family of loitering munitions.