Jeff Shaner Sells 168,800 Shares of Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH) Stock

Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAH) CEO Jeff Shaner sold 168,800 shares of Aveanna Healthcare stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.38, for a total transaction of $1,245,744.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 2,824,117 shares in the company, valued at $20,841,983.46. This trade represents a 5.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Jeff Shaner also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, February 19th, Jeff Shaner sold 173,225 shares of Aveanna Healthcare stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.21, for a total value of $1,248,952.25.
• On Tuesday, February 17th, Jeff Shaner sold 119,884 shares of Aveanna Healthcare stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.65, for a total value of $917,112.60.
• On Friday, January 2nd, Jeff Shaner sold 29,357 shares of Aveanna Healthcare stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.85, for a total value of $230,452.45.
• On Wednesday, December 31st, Jeff Shaner sold 27,674 shares of Aveanna Healthcare stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.18, for a total value of $226,373.32.
• On Tuesday, December 30th, Jeff Shaner sold 27,929 shares of Aveanna Healthcare stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.36, for a total value of $233,486.44.

Aveanna Healthcare Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of Aveanna Healthcare stock opened at $7.34 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.39 and a beta of 2.06. Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. has a 52-week low of $3.67 and a 52-week high of $10.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 140.39, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.23. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $8.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $8.46.

Key Aveanna Healthcare News

Here are the key news stories impacting Aveanna Healthcare this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying in recent quarters — firms including Invesco, Millennium, Zimmer Partners and others increased or established positions in Q4, a vote of confidence that can support the stock over the medium term. MarketBeat Institutional Activity
• Positive Sentiment: Despite recent sales, insiders still retain large, multi‑million‑dollar stakes (CEO, CFO and others remain major shareholders), which can temper panic selling and signal some continued alignment with shareholders. SEC Filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short interest shows zero shares for mid‑February — this is almost certainly a reporting/data anomaly and does not indicate genuine lack of short interest. Treat the short‑interest figure cautiously. Short Interest Data
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading volume today was below recent averages; low volume can amplify price moves when large blocks or news hit the tape (higher intraday volatility risk).
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains mixed: consensus is around a “Hold” with an average target near $11 — helpful context for longer‑term positioning but not an immediate catalyst. Analyst Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Large, concentrated insider selling Feb. 17–19 by CEO Jeff Shaner — roughly 461,900 shares sold across three days (~$3.4M reported proceeds) — is the primary negative catalyst driving downward pressure as the market interprets sizeable CEO disposals as risk reduction. CEO Sales SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Additional senior/executive selling (CFO Matthew Buckhalter, CAO Deborah Stewart, and other insiders including Edwin C. Reisz and Patrick A. Cunningham) involved hundreds of thousands of shares total across the same dates — a reinforcing negative signal that likely amplified the pullback. Other Insider Filings
• Negative Sentiment: Independent coverage singled out the insider selling as the main reason for a recent ~5–6% pullback, increasing market attention on the disposals and reinforcing short‑term selling pressure. AAII Article

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on AVAH. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of Aveanna Healthcare in a report on Thursday, November 13th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $11.00 price objective for the company. Barclays raised their price target on Aveanna Healthcare from $9.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Aveanna Healthcare from $9.50 to $10.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on Aveanna Healthcare from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $13.00 target price on shares of Aveanna Healthcare in a report on Friday, December 5th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $11.06.

Institutional Trading of Aveanna Healthcare

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Aveanna Healthcare by 8.9% during the third quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd now owns 14,149 shares of the company’s stock worth $126,000 after purchasing an additional 1,151 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its position in Aveanna Healthcare by 0.8% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 179,359 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,591,000 after purchasing an additional 1,366 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in Aveanna Healthcare by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 35,630 shares of the company’s stock worth $316,000 after buying an additional 1,528 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Aveanna Healthcare by 9.8% in the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 19,483 shares of the company’s stock worth $159,000 after buying an additional 1,739 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Balboa Wealth Partners increased its holdings in shares of Aveanna Healthcare by 13.5% in the 4th quarter. Balboa Wealth Partners now owns 16,890 shares of the company’s stock worth $138,000 after buying an additional 2,007 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.96% of the company’s stock.

Aveanna Healthcare Company Profile

Aveanna Healthcare, Inc (NASDAQ: AVAH) is a national provider of in-home health care services, specializing in pediatric skilled nursing, therapy, and related support for medically complex and chronically ill children. The company delivers a range of clinical and therapeutic solutions designed to enable patients to receive care in the comfort of their own homes, reducing the need for hospital stays and long-term institutional care. Aveanna’s offerings include registered nursing, physical, occupational and speech therapy, behavioral health counseling, and durable medical equipment coordination.

In addition to pediatric home health services, Aveanna operates adult home health and personal care support programs, assisting elderly and disabled adults with daily living activities, medication management, and rehabilitation therapies.