Analysts Set AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Target Price at $197.83

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of "Buy" by the eight analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $197.83.

AVAV has been the topic of a number of research reports. Raymond James raised AeroVironment from a "market perform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $200.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $230.00 to $190.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $220.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $190.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, May 12th.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AVAV traded down $1.76 during trading on Friday, reaching $176.38. 492,432 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 418,060. AeroVironment has a 12 month low of $102.25 and a 12 month high of $236.60. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $147.44 and a 200-day moving average price of $159.50. The company has a current ratio of 4.61, a quick ratio of 3.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The firm has a market cap of $4.98 billion, a PE ratio of 101.37 and a beta of 0.80.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other news, CEO Wahid Nawabi sold 29,366 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.20, for a total value of $3,764,721.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 115,174 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,765,306.80. This represents a 20.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.27% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Barclays PLC boosted its position in AeroVironment by 149.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 57,245 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $11,477,000 after buying an additional 34,318 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter valued at $212,000. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 59.7% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 5,174 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $796,000 after acquiring an additional 1,935 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 14.6% during the 4th quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 20,409 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $3,141,000 after acquiring an additional 2,601 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Traynor Capital Management Inc. grew its position in AeroVironment by 22.1% during the 4th quarter. Traynor Capital Management Inc. now owns 30,729 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $4,729,000 after acquiring an additional 5,564 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About AeroVironment

AeroVironment, Inc designs, develops, produces, delivers, and supports a portfolio of robotic systems and related services for government agencies and businesses in the United States and internationally. It operates through Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS), Tactical Missile System (TMS), Medium Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MUAS), and High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite Systems (HAPS) segments.