AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Up 6.7% – Time to Buy?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) was up 6.7% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $274.99 and last traded at $274.35. Approximately 1,145,232 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 34% from the average daily volume of 1,742,560 shares. The stock had previously closed at $257.20.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AVAV has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald cut their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $335.00 to $315.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $400.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Zacks Research raised shares of AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded AeroVironment from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $378.06.

AeroVironment Trading Up 6.7%

The company has a current ratio of 5.08, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The company has a fifty day moving average of $287.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $294.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -219.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 1.23.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.43). The firm had revenue of $472.51 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.16 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.08% and a positive return on equity of 3.42%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 150.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.47 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total value of $367,232.40. Following 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total transaction of $377,620.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 51,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,258,997.62. This represents a 1.92% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 2,710 shares of company stock valued at $922,464 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% during the third 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. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.