AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading 8.6% Higher – Time to Buy?

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) shot up 8.6% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $258.78 and last traded at $257.20. 1,487,496 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 16% from the average session volume of 1,764,902 shares. The stock had previously closed at $236.88.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Zacks Research upgraded AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, January 12th. KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $378.06.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 4.29, a current ratio of 5.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm has a market cap of $12.84 billion, a P/E ratio of -205.76, a P/E/G ratio of 3.81 and a beta of 1.23. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $287.45 and a 200-day simple moving average of $294.31.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its earnings results 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 positive return on equity of 3.42% and a negative net margin of 5.08%.The business had revenue of $472.51 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $466.16 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.47 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 150.7% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The shares were 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 approximately $6,359,847.60. This represents a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total transaction of $50,184.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 3,223 shares of company stock valued at $1,092,503 in the last quarter. 0.81% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% in the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. 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.