Archer Aviation (NYSE:ACHR) Shares Up 1.8% – Still a Buy?

Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE:ACHR)’s share price rose 1.8% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $6.48 and last traded at $6.4350. Approximately 23,533,969 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 39% from the average daily volume of 38,277,453 shares. The stock had previously closed at $6.32.

Key Archer Aviation News

Here are the key news stories impacting Archer Aviation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Selected in the federal eVTOL pilot program and FAA test slate — Archer and partners were included in the DOT/FAA Advanced Air Mobility pilot spanning 26 states, which accelerates pathways to early commercial routes and local approvals. Flying taxis could soon take flight
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction to program inclusion and FAA milestones lifted sentiment — Coverage notes stocks jumped after Archer’s program slots and other regulatory milestones, supporting near-term investor optimism around commercialization timelines. Archer, Joby Stocks Jump
• Positive Sentiment: Operational progress flagged by analyst/industry write-ups — Recent articles highlight steps forward on deployment and certification progress that could de-risk the path to revenue over time. Archer Aviation deployment step
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and long-term narratives debated — Analyst and media pieces stress that while milestones matter, high valuation, cash burn and long timelines remain key context for investors. Assessing Archer’s valuation
• Neutral Sentiment: Feature/idea pieces frame ACHR as a long-horizon, high-risk/reward name — These can attract retail interest but don’t change near-term fundamentals. Is Archer offering an opportunity?
• Negative Sentiment: Legal battle with Joby escalates — Archer filed counterclaims accusing Joby of hiding China ties and defrauding the U.S.; the high-profile dispute raises litigation costs, reputational risk and management distraction. Archer accuses Joby
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst move cuts near-term valuation — Needham trimmed its price target to $9, signaling more conservative near-term expectations and adding downward pressure on sentiment. Needham lowers price target
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling is notable — Multiple executives, including the CFO, reported sales of shares in early March, which investors often view as a near-term negative signal. Insider selling filings
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage highlights underperformance and execution risk — Analysts and outlets point out a >15% one-year share decline vs. peers and persistent revenue shortfalls, underscoring ongoing execution and funding risks. ACHR underperforms industry

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ACHR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Archer Aviation in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their price objective on shares of Archer Aviation from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Needham & Company LLC decreased their target price on shares of Archer Aviation from $10.00 to $9.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Archer Aviation in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Archer Aviation in a research report on Monday, December 1st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $11.00 price target for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $12.00.

Archer Aviation Stock Up 1.8%

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $7.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $8.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.50 and a beta of 3.10. The company has a quick ratio of 19.89, a current ratio of 19.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.

Archer Aviation (NYSE:ACHR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 2nd. The company reported ($0.26) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.17) by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $0.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.40 million. Archer Aviation’s revenue for the quarter was up 29900.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Archer Aviation Inc. will post -1.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Archer Aviation

In other Archer Aviation news, insider Eric Lentell sold 37,390 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.46, for a total value of $241,539.40. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 139,483 shares in the company, valued at $901,060.18. This represents a 21.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Tosha Perkins sold 54,786 shares of Archer Aviation stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.46, for a total transaction of $353,917.56. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 377,022 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,435,562.12. This trade represents a 12.69% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 344,899 shares of company stock valued at $2,420,548 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 7.65% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Archer Aviation

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in Archer Aviation by 20.9% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 43,389 shares of the company’s stock valued at $327,000 after purchasing an additional 7,515 shares in the last quarter. EMC Capital Management increased its position in Archer Aviation by 22.5% in the 4th quarter. EMC Capital Management now owns 13,600 shares of the company’s stock worth $102,000 after purchasing an additional 2,500 shares during the last quarter. Tulsa Wealth Advisors INC purchased a new stake in shares of Archer Aviation during the 4th quarter worth about $100,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Archer Aviation by 979.3% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 4,285 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 3,888 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alpine Global Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Archer Aviation by 104.7% during the 4th quarter. Alpine Global Management LLC now owns 4,677,145 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,172,000 after buying an additional 2,392,026 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 59.34% of the company’s stock.

Archer Aviation Company Profile

Archer Aviation, Inc (NYSE: ACHR) is a California-based aerospace company developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed to serve as sustainable urban air mobility solutions. Founded in 2018 by Adam Goldstein and Brett Adcock, Archer focuses on the design, development and certification of zero-emissions air taxis aimed at reducing traffic congestion in densely populated metropolitan areas. The company’s flagship prototypes, “Maker” and “Midnight,” have been engineered to deliver quiet, efficient short-haul flights with ranges of up to 100 miles per charge.

Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Archer operates a manufacturing facility in nearby Santa Cruz County and maintains research partnerships with automotive and energy companies, including a collaboration with Stellantis to integrate advanced battery systems.