AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Price Target Lowered to $250.00 at Royal Bank Of Canada

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) had its target price decreased by equities researchers at Royal Bank Of Canada from $325.00 to $250.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has an “outperform” rating on the aerospace company’s stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s price target indicates a potential upside of 12.83% from the stock’s current price.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $390.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, March 2nd. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $415.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on AeroVironment from $260.00 to $235.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 target price for the company. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “underperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $334.00.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of AVAV stock opened at $221.57 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $283.26 and its 200 day moving average price is $293.28. The company has a quick ratio of 4.29, a current ratio of 5.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.06 billion, a PE ratio of -177.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.60 and a beta of 1.26. AeroVironment has a 52-week low of $102.25 and a 52-week high of $417.86.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.72 by ($0.08). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.08% and a positive return on equity of 3.42%. The company had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.30 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that AeroVironment will post 3.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total value of $377,620.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 51,001 shares in the company, valued at $19,258,997.62. This trade represents a 1.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total value of $367,232.40. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 17,301 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,359,847.60. The trade was a 5.46% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 4,078 shares of company stock worth $1,301,482. 0.81% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. State of Michigan Retirement System purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the third quarter worth about $2,393,000. ARK Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in AeroVironment by 28.9% during the 3rd quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 400,457 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $126,100,000 after purchasing an additional 89,697 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 550.7% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 178,204 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $56,115,000 after purchasing an additional 150,819 shares in the last quarter. Keystone Investors PTE Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $2,355,000. Finally, Rheos Capital Works Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the third quarter worth approximately $37,787,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts still bullish despite trimming targets — several firms lowered price targets but kept buy/overweight ratings, signaling continued confidence in AVAV’s longer‑term market position. (KeyCorp cut its PT to $295 but remains overweight; Needham, Citizens and Baird also trimmed PTs while keeping positive ratings.) Analyst Price Target Changes
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term market tailwinds remain: defense demand, counter‑drone needs and AI-enabled drone growth support a multiyear addressable market that analysts cite as a structural upside for AVAV. Counter-Drone Capabilities and Market Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Company materials available — full Q3 slide deck, press release and earnings call transcript were released for investors to dig into the details and management commentary on timing and contract issues. Q3 Slide Deck / Press Release
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 results missed expectations: revenue of ~$408M vs. ~\$488M expected and adjusted EPS of $0.64 vs. ~$0.72 expected; management cut FY‑2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.75–$3.10 (from $3.40–$3.55) and lowered revenue midpoint, driving the immediate sell‑off. Q3 Results & Guidance Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Contract uncertainty: reports flagged potential termination/uncertainty around a ~\$1.7B Space Force SCAR award — that risk increases revenue volatility and investor concern about near‑term backlog. SCAR Contract Uncertainty
• Negative Sentiment: Timing delays & government order disruptions: management cited delayed government orders (including impacts from a government shutdown period) as drivers of weaker-than-expected quarterly timing. Timing Issues / Government Order Delays
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/investor scrutiny: a Pomerantz law‑firm investigation was announced, which can add near‑term headline risk and potential litigation uncertainty for shareholders. Pomerantz Investigation

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.