AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Up 6.2% – What’s Next?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s stock price rose 6.2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $170.30 and last traded at $169.02. 1,835,667 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 11% from the average daily volume of 1,653,001 shares. The stock had previously closed at $159.18.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, June 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded AeroVironment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 5th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $266.68.

AeroVironment Price Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average is $164.46 and its 200-day moving average is $201.62. The firm has a market cap of $8.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -46.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.75 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a current ratio of 4.30, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its 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. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.71% and a negative net margin of 9.00%.The firm had revenue of $641.62 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $555.97 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.61 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were 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. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 230.3% in the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 109 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 90.0% during the 4th quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 133 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its position in AeroVironment by 73.8% during the 4th quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 139 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

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.