Insider Selling: Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH) CFO Sells $97,172.46 in Stock

Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAH) CFO Matthew Buckhalter sold 13,167 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.38, for a total value of $97,172.46. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 542,755 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,005,531.90. This represents a 2.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Matthew Buckhalter also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, February 19th, Matthew Buckhalter sold 13,512 shares of Aveanna Healthcare stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.21, for a total transaction of $97,421.52.
• On Tuesday, February 17th, Matthew Buckhalter sold 9,351 shares of Aveanna Healthcare stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.65, for a total transaction of $71,535.15.
• On Friday, January 2nd, Matthew Buckhalter sold 18,340 shares of Aveanna Healthcare stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.85, for a total transaction of $143,969.00.
• On Wednesday, December 31st, Matthew Buckhalter sold 17,289 shares of Aveanna Healthcare stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.18, for a total transaction of $141,424.02.
• On Tuesday, December 30th, Matthew Buckhalter sold 17,448 shares of Aveanna Healthcare stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.36, for a total transaction of $145,865.28.

Aveanna Healthcare Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:AVAH opened at $7.34 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.53 billion, a PE ratio of 20.39 and a beta of 2.06. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $8.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $8.50. Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. has a 1 year low of $3.67 and a 1 year high of $10.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 140.39, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.23.

Aveanna Healthcare News Roundup

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AVAH. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of Aveanna Healthcare during the 2nd quarter worth $43,000. MQS Management LLC bought a new position in Aveanna Healthcare in the second quarter worth about $59,000. Belvedere Trading LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Aveanna Healthcare during the second quarter valued at about $62,000. Oxford Asset Management LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Aveanna Healthcare during the second quarter valued at about $64,000. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Aveanna Healthcare in the 2nd quarter valued at about $68,000. 87.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Aveanna Healthcare from $9.00 to $11.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on Aveanna Healthcare in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $11.00 price objective on the stock. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and set a $13.00 price objective on shares of Aveanna Healthcare in a report on Friday, December 5th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Aveanna Healthcare in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Aveanna Healthcare from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $11.06.

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.