AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading 16.1% Higher – Should You Buy?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s stock price rose 16.1% on Monday . The company traded as high as $302.49 and last traded at $297.41. Approximately 2,340,521 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 43% from the average daily volume of 1,639,548 shares. The stock had previously closed at $256.19.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on AVAV shares. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $390.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $400.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $400.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $295.00 to $389.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AeroVironment presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $375.41.

AeroVironment Trading Up 16.1%

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 50-day moving average price of $286.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $281.96. The stock has a market cap of $14.85 billion, a PE ratio of -237.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.78 and a beta of 1.16.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.43). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.08% and a positive return on equity of 3.42%. The business had revenue of $472.51 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $466.16 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.47 earnings per share. The company’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. Sell-side analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 998 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $399.74, for a total transaction of $398,940.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 19,324 shares in the company, valued at $7,724,575.76. The trade was a 4.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 2,222 shares of company stock valued at $746,592. 0.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. ORG Partners LLC increased its holdings in AeroVironment by 296.0% in the 2nd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 99 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the period. RMG Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is owned by 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.