AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Reaches New 1-Year Low - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• AeroVironment shares hit a new 52-week low during Monday trading, falling to as low as $158.80 before last trading around $161.50, well below the prior close of $168.29.
• Despite the stock weakness, analysts remain broadly positive: the consensus rating is Moderate Buy with an average target price of $318.78, though some firms have recently cut ratings or price targets.
• The company recently reported mixed quarterly results, with EPS of $0.64 missing expectations and revenue of $408.05 million below estimates, even as sales rose 143.4% year over year and FY2026 guidance was set at 2.75 to 3.10 EPS.

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $158.80 and last traded at $161.5010, with a volume of 190786 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $168.29.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on AVAV shares. Clear Str raised AeroVironment to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Raymond James Financial raised AeroVironment from an "underperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Weiss Ratings cut AeroVironment from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Citigroup reissued a "market outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $260.00 to $235.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $318.78.

AeroVironment Price Performance

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 50-day moving average of $202.04 and a 200-day moving average of $263.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -38.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.35.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.30 earnings per share. AeroVironment's revenue for the quarter was up 143.4% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 2.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total transaction of $42,504.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,794 shares in the company, valued at $1,231,340.88. This represents a 3.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.29, for a total value of $49,322.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 49,501 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,766,052.29. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 2,975 shares of company stock worth $740,324 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in AeroVironment by 60.0% in 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 period. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised its stake in AeroVironment by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Smithfield Trust Co bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company's stock.

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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