AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Price Target Cut to $315.00 by Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus

Key Points

• Stifel Nicolaus cut its price target for AeroVironment to $315 from $389 but maintained a "buy" rating, a target Stifel says implies roughly 53% upside from the prior close.
• AeroVironment missed Q3 estimates (EPS $0.64 vs. $0.72) and revenue fell short of consensus, prompting management to lower FY‑2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.75–$3.10 and triggering analyst price‑target trims, contract‑timing concerns and an investor probe that pressured the stock to $205.40 on heavy volume.
• Despite near‑term headwinds, Q3 revenue surged about 143% year‑over‑year, and the stock still carries a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average analyst target around $329.89, reflecting continued bullish views on defense demand.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) had its price target reduced by stock analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $389.00 to $315.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the aerospace company's stock. Stifel Nicolaus' price objective suggests a potential upside of 53.36% from the company's previous close.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on AVAV. Zacks Research lowered shares of AeroVironment from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $390.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $335.00 to $315.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. KeyCorp lowered their price objective on AeroVironment from $330.00 to $295.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup reissued a "market outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, January 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $329.89.

AeroVironment Price Performance

NASDAQ AVAV traded down $16.17 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $205.40. The company had a trading volume of 2,765,562 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,934,352. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a current ratio of 5.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -164.67, a PEG ratio of 3.60 and a beta of 1.26. AeroVironment has a 52 week low of $102.25 and a 52 week high of $417.86. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $283.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of $293.28.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.72 by ($0.08). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.08% and a positive return on equity of 3.42%. The company had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $487.94 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.30 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that AeroVironment will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total transaction of $377,620.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 51,001 shares of the company's stock, valued at $19,258,997.62. This represents a 1.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 4,078 shares of company stock valued at $1,301,482 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Groupama Asset Managment bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $314,890,000. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in AeroVironment by 14.3% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,478,114 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $991,089,000 after acquiring an additional 433,830 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth approximately $94,655,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 24,798.7% during the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 315,716 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $99,416,000 after acquiring an additional 314,448 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 75.6% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 609,019 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $173,540,000 after acquiring an additional 262,239 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support amid geopolitical tailwinds — KeyBanc calls AeroVironment a top beneficiary of the Iran conflict and keeps an Overweight rating even while trimming its PT, highlighting defense demand upside. KeyBanc Flags AeroVironment (AVAV) as Top Iran Conflict Winner
• Positive Sentiment: Strong year-over-year revenue growth — Q3 revenue rose ~143% YoY to $408M, reflecting demand for drones and counter‑UAS technology that could support longer-term growth. AeroVironment Announces Fiscal 2026 Third Quarter Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings materials and call available — Full Q3 slide deck and transcript provide management commentary on timing issues and segments; review for details on backlog, segment timing and assumptions. Slide Deck / Press Release
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings and guidance miss — AVAV reported adjusted EPS of $0.64 and revenue below consensus; management cut FY26 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.75–$3.10 (below Street), prompting investor concern on near‑term earnings. Q3 Earnings Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Contract uncertainty — Stop-work/termination activity tied to the BADGER SCAR / Space Force SCAR program and potential exposure (~$1.7B referenced in coverage) raises revenue timing and backlog risk. AVAV Stock Plunges on Q3 Miss and Contract Uncertainty
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst price-target trims and mixed ratings — Multiple firms (KeyCorp, RBC, UBS, Baird, Needham, Citizens/JMP) cut price targets; some keep outperform/overweight ratings but the cuts reflect near‑term headwinds. RBC / MarketScreener
• Negative Sentiment: Legal scrutiny — A securities law firm (Pomerantz) announced an investor investigation, which can add to headline risk and volatility. Pomerantz Investor Alert

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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