AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Price Up 1.3% – Should You Buy?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s stock price traded up 1.3% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $190.96 and last traded at $189.15. Approximately 1,425,223 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 13% from the average session volume of 1,645,340 shares. The stock had previously closed at $186.73.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on AVAV shares. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their target price on AeroVironment from $280.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 10th. Clear Str upgraded AeroVironment to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $225.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised AeroVironment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $266.68.

AeroVironment Stock Up 1.3%

The business’s 50 day moving average is $163.19 and its 200-day moving average is $198.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a current ratio of 4.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -51.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.35 and a beta of 1.41.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its earnings results on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.37. The firm had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $555.97 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.61 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total value of $43,602.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sunbelt Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 90.0% in the fourth quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 133 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the period. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 73.8% in the fourth quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 139 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

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.