AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Down 1.9% After Analyst Downgrade

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) traded down 1.9% during mid-day trading on Monday after Citizens Jmp lowered their price target on the stock from $350.00 to $230.00. Citizens Jmp currently has a market outperform rating on the stock. AeroVironment traded as low as $141.15 and last traded at $141.80. 1,235,000 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 27% from the average daily volume of 1,690,868 shares. The stock had previously closed at $144.58.

AVAV has been the subject of several other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on AeroVironment from $305.00 to $229.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $225.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their target price on AeroVironment from $280.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Finally, Wolfe Research cut shares of AeroVironment to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $266.68.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total value of $43,602.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 750 shares of company stock valued at $133,502. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment announced it received an MQ-31A military designation from Italy’s Ministry of Defence for the JUMP 20 unmanned aircraft system, a potential commercial win that validates the platform and could support future international sales. AV Receives MQ-31A Designation from Italian Ministry of Defence (MoD)
• Positive Sentiment: The Italian military designation signals external recognition of JUMP 20 as an official capability, which may improve AeroVironment’s credibility in defense procurement and help broaden its defense-tech addressable market. AV Receives MQ-31A Designation from Italian Ministry of Defence (MoD)
• Neutral Sentiment: One market commentary noted the stock was under pressure as investors rotated away from growth and defense-tech names, reinforcing the day’s weaker trading tone but adding little new company-specific information. Why Is AeroVironment Stock Falling Monday?
• Negative Sentiment: Several firms, including Kaplan Fox, Robbins Geller, Rosen, Schall, and others, continued promoting or reminding investors about the class-action lawsuit and lead-plaintiff deadline, which increases legal uncertainty and can keep pressure on AVAV shares. Kaplan Fox Alerts Investors: Lead Plaintiff Deadline for AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV) is July 27, 2026

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Legacy Bridge LLC increased its position in shares of AeroVironment by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 4,046 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $979,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 3,709 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $897,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in AeroVironment by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $261,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its stake in AeroVironment by 29.7% during the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 188 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 10.5% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 495 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $120,000 after buying an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AeroVironment Price Performance

The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $171.26 and its 200-day moving average price is $220.60. The firm has a market cap of $7.18 billion, a PE ratio of -38.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 4.30 and a quick ratio of 3.59.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.37. The firm had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $555.97 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.61 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.