AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Given New $235.00 Price Target at Robert W. Baird

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) had its price objective decreased by Robert W. Baird from $260.00 to $235.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. Robert W. Baird currently has an outperform rating on the aerospace company’s stock.

AVAV has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $390.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, March 2nd. KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $486.00 to $429.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $259.00 price objective for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $329.89.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $207.73 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $282.58 and its 200 day simple moving average is $292.68. The company has a current ratio of 5.08, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. AeroVironment has a twelve month low of $102.25 and a twelve month high of $417.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -47.86, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.26.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.72 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.52%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.30 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that AeroVironment will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total transaction of $377,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 51,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,258,997.62. This trade represents a 1.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 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 transaction of $367,232.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly 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. Insiders have sold 4,474 shares of company stock worth $1,390,404 in the last ninety days. 0.81% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in AeroVironment by 1.5% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,530,073 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,111,585,000 after buying an additional 51,959 shares in the last quarter. Groupama Asset Managment acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $314,890,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 8.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 884,395 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $213,956,000 after acquiring an additional 71,903 shares during the last quarter. Heard Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 48.4% in the 4th quarter. Heard Capital LLC now owns 722,150 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $174,681,000 after acquiring an additional 235,685 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 17.4% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 686,273 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $216,101,000 after acquiring an additional 101,713 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Very strong top‑line growth: revenue rose ~143% year‑over‑year (Q3 sales ~$408M), showing robust demand and integration progress after acquisitions. AeroVironment Announces Fiscal 2026 Third Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Healthy balance sheet and backlog: management and coverage notes point to a strong cash position that supports scaling production and pursuing commercial diversification, which some investors view as a longer‑term catalyst. MarketBeat – AeroVironment Profile
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts cut price targets but many kept positive ratings — firms (Stifel, KeyBanc, RBC, UBS, etc.) trimmed targets to reflect SCAR/timing risk while often retaining Buy/Overweight, leaving potential upside if execution stabilizes.
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider activity: CFO sold a small block (~396 shares) disclosed March 10; size and frequency suggest limited signal about management conviction.
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings and revenue miss: adjusted EPS $0.64 missed consensus and revenue of $408M came in well below expectations — the immediate trigger for selling. AeroVironment Books A ‘Stellar Quarter,’ But Shares Dive
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance cut: FY2026 adjusted EPS narrowed to $2.75–$3.10 (previously $3.40–$3.55) and revenue guided ~$1.9–$2.0B — below Street expectations, which pressured sentiment and valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Contract uncertainty: potential termination/stop‑work on the BADGER/SCAR program and timing disruptions in Space/Cyber/Directed Energy could remove ~$1.7B of expected business, amplifying downside risk. Coverage and news outlets highlighted this as a key negative. AeroVironment falls after revenue, profit miss and lowered outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: heavy volume and a premarket selloff followed by after‑hours declines; multiple media pieces flagged significant intraday moves and price target cuts, increasing volatility and short‑term downside risk. AeroVironment (AVAV) Stock Plunges 9% on Q3 Miss and $1.7B Contract Uncertainty
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/investor risk: a securities law firm (Pomerantz) opened an investigation related to the disclosure and results, which can add near‑term headline risk.

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.