AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• AeroVironment shares have a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy”, with 24 analysts covering the stock and an average 12-month price target of about $318.78.
• The company recently reported quarterly earnings of $0.64 per share, missing estimates, while revenue of $408.05 million also came in below expectations despite being up sharply year over year.
• Investor sentiment is being weighed by a class action lawsuit tied to allegations that AeroVironment misled investors about its SCAR program and related risks, even as the company has benefited from government contract wins and expansion plans.

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-four analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have given a hold recommendation, eighteen have given a buy recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $318.7778.

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Clear Str upgraded AeroVironment to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. KeyCorp cut their price objective on AeroVironment from $330.00 to $295.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their target price on AeroVironment from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Citizens Jmp cut their target price on AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a "market outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut AeroVironment from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In related news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total value of $42,504.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 5,794 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,231,340.88. This trade represents a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.55, for a total transaction of $88,921.80. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 16,026 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,598,638.30. This represents a 2.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 1,346 shares of company stock worth $274,456. Corporate insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of AVAV. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 1st quarter worth about $225,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $285,000. American Century Companies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $633,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 5,200.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 159 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP raised its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 24,188 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $6,892,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AeroVironment Trading Down 1.5%

NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $204.09 on Tuesday. AeroVironment has a fifty-two week low of $156.00 and a fifty-two week high of $417.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 5.51 and a quick ratio of 4.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.19 billion, a PE ratio of -47.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 1.35. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $185.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $241.01.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.68 by ($0.04). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.26%. The business had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $487.94 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.30 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that AeroVironment will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms, including Rosen, Faruqi & Faruqi, Robbins LLP, Schall, and Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, announced or reminded investors about a class action lawsuit against AeroVironment covering purchases between June 25, 2025 and March 10, 2026, with a lead-plaintiff deadline of July 27, 2026. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The lawsuit allegations center on claims that AeroVironment misled investors about the profitability and viability of its SCAR program and related business risks, which could pressure the stock if investors fear further legal fallout or reputational damage. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: One market commentary noted that AeroVironment has benefited recently from major U.S. government contract wins and expansion plans, including a $20 million Air Force Research Laboratory contract and a $20.2 million investment to expand missile production capacity, which helps explain why the stock has had strong recent momentum. Article Title

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.

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