AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts have a consensus rating of Moderate Buy on AeroVironment from 24 brokerages (18 buy, 2 strong buy, 3 hold, 1 sell) with an average 12‑month price target of about $318.78.
• AeroVironment's latest quarter missed expectations — EPS $0.64 vs $0.68 est and revenue $408.05M vs $487.94M — though revenue was up 143.4% year‑over‑year; the company set FY2026 guidance of 2.75–3.10 EPS (analysts project 2.94).
• Insiders sold 2,975 shares (~$740K) in recent months, and the stock trades around $168 (well below its 52‑week high of $417.86); the company has a market cap of $8.4B and a negative PE of -38.75.

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-four brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have assigned a hold recommendation, eighteen have issued a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $318.7778.

Several equities analysts recently commented on AVAV shares. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. KeyCorp decreased their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $330.00 to $295.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of AeroVironment from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Citizens Jmp cut their price objective on AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a "market outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 879 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $267.60, for a total value of $235,220.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 16,422 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,394,527.20. This represents a 5.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $254.95, for a total transaction of $127,475.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 50,501 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,875,229.95. This trade represents a 0.98% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 2,975 shares of company stock worth $740,324. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in AeroVironment by 60.0% in the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% in the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AeroVironment Trading Down 3.5%

Shares of AVAV stock opened at $168.18 on Friday. AeroVironment has a fifty-two week low of $159.64 and a fifty-two week high of $417.86. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $202.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $263.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a current ratio of 5.51. The company has a market cap of $8.40 billion, a PE ratio of -38.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.35.

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

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