AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Down 5.1% – Time to Sell?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) traded down 5.1% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $276.76 and last traded at $278.39. 1,086,726 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 41% from the average session volume of 1,840,117 shares. The stock had previously closed at $293.22.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on AVAV shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded AeroVironment from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $400.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Friday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $390.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $378.06.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $288.62 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $294.47. 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 market capitalization of $13.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -222.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.54 and a beta of 1.16.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.43). The firm had revenue of $472.51 million during 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 company’s quarterly revenue was up 150.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.47 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total value of $50,184.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. The trade was a 3.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 owned 17,301 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,359,847.60. This represents a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 3,223 shares of company stock worth $1,092,503. 0.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in AeroVironment by 60.0% during the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the third quarter worth $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. RMG Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised 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 acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.