AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Down 7.5% – Should You Sell?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) shares dropped 7.5% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $148.14 and last traded at $148.20. 1,225,457 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 24% from the average daily volume of 1,613,946 shares. The stock had previously closed at $160.22.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on AVAV shares. Zacks Research raised shares of AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $280.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AeroVironment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 5th. Wedbush began coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. Finally, KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $266.68.

AeroVironment Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $7.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -40.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.04 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. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $160.94 and a 200 day simple moving average of $188.26.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its earnings results on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.37. The company had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $555.97 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.71% and a negative net margin of 9.00%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.61 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the company’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 transaction, the director owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 205 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total transaction of $41,381.30. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 7,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,592,271.68. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 705 shares of company stock worth $132,979 over the last ninety days. 0.79% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. NewEdge Wealth LLC boosted its position in AeroVironment by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 3,709 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $897,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. grew its stake in AeroVironment by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $261,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 29.7% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 188 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Family Legacy Inc. increased its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Family Legacy Inc. now owns 2,326 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $563,000 after buying an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 73.8% in the fourth quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 139 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.