AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Price Up 4.9% – Time to Buy?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s share price traded up 4.9% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $382.72 and last traded at $381.80. 1,940,534 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 1% from the average session volume of 1,922,225 shares. The stock had previously closed at $363.86.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AVAV has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $400.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. KeyCorp set a $285.00 target price on AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, New Street Research set a $365.00 target price on AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, AeroVironment currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $375.41.

AeroVironment Trading Up 4.9%

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $282.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $287.79. The company has a market capitalization of $19.06 billion, a PE ratio of -305.44, a PEG ratio of 5.47 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a current ratio of 5.08, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 represents a 5.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total value of $50,184.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. The trade was a 3.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,223 shares of company stock valued at $714,883. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

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 company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% during 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 last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. ORG Partners LLC raised its position in AeroVironment by 296.0% during the 2nd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 99 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. RMG Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by 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.