Jefferies Financial Group Reiterates Buy Rating for AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV)

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reiterated by investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $390.00 target price on the aerospace company’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price objective points to a potential upside of 87.21% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $400.00 target price on AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings downgraded AeroVironment from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $367.00.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of AVAV traded down $43.93 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $208.32. The stock had a trading volume of 13,323,889 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,798,658. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a current ratio of 5.08. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $287.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $294.15. AeroVironment has a fifty-two week low of $102.25 and a fifty-two week high of $417.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -166.66, a PEG ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 1.26.

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

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total transaction of $377,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 51,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,258,997.62. This trade represents a 1.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 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 value of $367,232.40. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 17,301 shares in the company, valued at $6,359,847.60. This trade represents a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,339 shares of company stock worth $1,353,910. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC grew its position in AeroVironment by 60.0% in the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its position in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% during the third 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. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Defense tailwinds and company fundamentals remain supportive: AVAV has reported strong revenue growth (~145% Y/Y), a record ~$3.5B in contract awards and management has given FY guidance that positions earnings as a potential catalyst. Investors view upcoming results as a chance for margins and EPS to catch up to top-line momentum. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Geopolitical demand narrative: Coverage highlighting “kamikaze”/loitering munitions and UAS demand (especially in the Iran conflict) frames AVAV as a direct beneficiary of near-term military demand, supporting upside if sales translate into higher-margin product mix. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings timing: AVAV is set to report next-day earnings — the print and any margin commentary will likely be the immediate fundamental driver and could either reverse or deepen today’s move depending on beats/misses and guidance. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade triggered sharp selling: Raymond James cut AVAV from Buy to Sell/Underperform, a move investors cited as the main catalyst for the intraday collapse as the downgrade appears to have sparked stop-losses and rapid position liquidation. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Downgrade rationale and program risk: StreetInsider/Benzinga coverage notes Raymond James’ concerns tied to program-level risks (e.g., SCAR program recompetition) that could pressure future contract clarity and margins — a direct hit to valuation sentiment. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction to Iran strikes was mixed: Defense peers rallied on geopolitical news, and AVAV initially popped but then plunged as the downgrade and intraday selling overwhelmed the sector tailwind — showing the stock is now trading more on near-term sentiment than fundamentals. Read More.

About AeroVironment

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.