AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Up 1.8% – Here’s Why

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s stock price was up 1.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $174.79 and last traded at $171.12. 1,039,667 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 37% from the average daily volume of 1,643,212 shares. The stock had previously closed at $168.06.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $280.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $305.00 to $229.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Clear Str upgraded AeroVironment to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded AeroVironment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 5th. Two 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $266.68.

AeroVironment Trading Up 1.8%

The stock has a market cap of $8.66 billion, a PE ratio of -46.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.75 and a beta of 1.41. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $164.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $201.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 4.30 and a quick ratio of 3.59.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total transaction of $43,602.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.81% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. F m Investments LLC bought a new position in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $1,775,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $94,655,000. MYDA Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,628,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC grew its stake in AeroVironment by 289.9% in the fourth quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 222,055 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $53,714,000 after purchasing an additional 165,106 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in AeroVironment by 92.2% during the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 20,173 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $5,168,000 after purchasing an additional 9,675 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AeroVironment Company Profile

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.