AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Short Interest Update

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 3,141,453 shares, an increase of 19.9% from the December 15th total of 2,620,349 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 919,188 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.4 days. Currently, 6.3% of the shares of the company are sold short. Currently, 6.3% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 919,188 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.4 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AVAV has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $415.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Cantor Fitzgerald dropped their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $335.00 to $315.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. JMP Securities increased their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $325.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Finally, New Street Research set a $365.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $375.41.

AeroVironment Trading Up 3.8%

Shares of AVAV opened at $392.86 on Monday. AeroVironment has a twelve month low of $102.25 and a twelve month high of $417.86. The stock has a market cap of $19.62 billion, a PE ratio of -314.29, a P/E/G ratio of 5.80 and a beta of 1.16. 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 business’s 50-day moving average price is $284.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $290.39.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $472.51 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $466.16 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.47 EPS. AeroVironment’s revenue was up 150.7% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that AeroVironment will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total transaction of $50,184.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 in the company, valued at $6,359,847.60. This trade represents a 5.46% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 3,223 shares of company stock worth $1,092,503 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Tema Etfs LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at $49,000. Nikulski Financial Inc. increased its stake in AeroVironment by 157.9% in the fourth quarter. Nikulski Financial Inc. now owns 9,062 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $2,192,000 after acquiring an additional 5,548 shares during the last quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter valued at about $485,000. Finally, Silver Oak Securities Incorporated bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth about $1,423,000. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.