AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Earns "Underperform" Rating from Raymond James Financial

Key Points

• Raymond James reiterated an “Underperform” rating on AeroVironment, contrasting with broader analyst sentiment (one Strong Buy, 18 Buy, 2 Hold, 2 Sell) and an average rating of “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $367.
• Shares dropped $29.91 to $222.35 on heavy volume after the company reported quarterly EPS of $0.44 (missing the $0.87 consensus) despite revenue rising 150.7% to $472.5M; FY2026 guidance of 3.400–3.550 EPS is roughly in line with analysts’ ~3.38 estimate.
• Insiders have been trimming positions (CFO sold 999 shares; insiders sold 4,339 shares worth about $1.35M in the last three months), and the stock trades with a market cap of $11.1B and a negative P/E of -182.63.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "underperform" rating reiterated by research analysts at Raymond James Financial in a report issued on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on AVAV. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $320.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $390.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, December 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on AeroVironment from $486.00 to $429.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Citigroup reissued a "market outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $415.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, January 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $367.00.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of AVAV traded down $29.91 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $222.35. The company had a trading volume of 3,170,340 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,511,971. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.10 billion, a P/E ratio of -182.63, a PEG ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 1.26. AeroVironment has a 52-week low of $102.25 and a 52-week high of $417.86. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $287.75 and a two-hundred day moving average of $294.15. The company has a quick ratio of 4.29, a current ratio of 5.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.43). The company had revenue of $472.51 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $466.16 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.42% and a negative net margin of 5.08%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 150.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.47 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. On average, analysts expect that AeroVironment will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the firm'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 directly owned 17,301 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,359,847.60. This trade represents a 5.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total value of $50,184.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. This represents a 3.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 4,339 shares of company stock valued at $1,353,910. Corporate insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% during the 3rd quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC acquired a new position in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% during 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 last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.