AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Rated “Moderate Buy” by Sell-Side Brokerages

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-seven ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have issued a hold recommendation, nineteen have given a buy recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $223.86.

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $285.00 price target on AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Raymond James Financial upgraded AeroVironment from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $210.00 price target for the company in a report on Thursday, July 16th. UBS Group boosted their price target on AeroVironment from $166.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $280.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $225.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, September 10th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AeroVironment news, CAO Brian Shackley sold 205 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Stephen Page sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $152.27, for a total transaction of $38,067.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 48,253 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,347,484.31. This represents a 0.52% 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. Insiders sold 805 shares of company stock valued at $142,671 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board increased its position in AeroVironment by 21.2% in the 3rd quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 8,000 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,138,000 after buying an additional 1,400 shares during the period. Lisanti Capital Growth LLC acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the third quarter worth approximately $3,360,000. Jacobi Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Retirement Systems of Alabama boosted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 17.0% in the third quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 39,003 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $5,547,000 after acquiring an additional 5,653 shares during the period. Finally, Fulcrum Asset Management LLP bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at approximately $723,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Trading Down 9.8%

NASDAQ AVAV opened at $102.08 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 4.26, a quick ratio of 3.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. AeroVironment has a 1-year low of $101.07 and a 1-year high of $408.25. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $138.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $182.04. The company has a market capitalization of $5.19 billion, a PE ratio of -43.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.42.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 4.04% and a negative net margin of 5.77%. The firm had revenue of $480.49 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $451.95 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.32 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that AeroVironment will post 3.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Heard Capital increased its AeroVironment position by 25% in the quarter ended June 30, according to its latest 13F filing. The disclosed purchase may support sentiment, though it reflects an earlier investment period. A $2.4 Billion Fund Bought These 3 Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: A market forecast through 2035 identifies AeroVironment among companies positioned to benefit from growth in UAV payloads and subsystems, including demand for AI, radar and flight-control systems. This is a broad industry outlook, not a company-specific contract announcement. Global UAV Payload and Subsystems Market Forecast to 2035
• Neutral Sentiment: AeroVironment amended its revolving credit facility. The report provides limited detail on the amendment’s terms, so the effect on the company’s financial flexibility is unclear. AeroVironment Expands Revolving Credit Facility Through Amendment
• Negative Sentiment: One valuation analysis says AVAV could be about 19% overvalued after the U.S. Space Force halted work on a BlueHalo-related contract worth roughly $1.7 billion and reopened bidding to other suppliers. The uncertainty may weigh on expectations for contract opportunities and valuation. AeroVironment Could Be 19% Overvalued After Contract Bid Reopened
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary cites defense-funding risks as analysts reassess AVAV’s fair value. A separate valuation piece argues the stock may still be expensive despite its steep decline, keeping pressure on investor expectations. AeroVironment Fair Value Edges Lower AeroVironment Stock May Be Expensive
• Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp cut its price target on AeroVironment, adding to concerns about near-term upside. AeroVironment Stock Price Target Cut by KeyCorp

AeroVironment Company Profile

AeroVironment, Inc is a defense technology company that develops and supplies uncrewed aircraft systems, loitering munitions, counter-uncrewed-aircraft systems, space systems and related autonomous technologies. Its products are designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, precision strike, tactical communications and other defense and security missions.

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