AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Up 1.9% - What's Next?

Key Points

• AeroVironment shares rose 1.9% to $149.37 in Friday trading, although volume was 43% below the average daily level.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $266.68 target price, despite several recent target-price cuts and a downgrade to “sector perform” from RBC.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.84 in EPS versus $1.47 expected and $641.62 million in revenue versus $555.97 million expected; revenue increased 133.3% year over year, while management issued fiscal 2027 EPS guidance of $3.02–$3.34.

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) shares were up 1.9% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $150.75 and last traded at $149.37. Approximately 941,535 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 43% from the average daily volume of 1,655,870 shares. The stock had previously closed at $146.57.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and set a $205.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on AeroVironment from $248.00 to $235.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Wall Street Zen raised AeroVironment from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, July 5th. Wolfe Research downgraded shares of AeroVironment to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of AeroVironment from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $210.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $266.68.

AeroVironment Stock Up 1.9%

The firm has a market cap of $7.56 billion, a P/E ratio of -40.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.83 and a beta of 1.39. The firm's 50 day moving average is $165.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $207.60. The company has a current ratio of 4.30, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.37. The firm had revenue of $641.62 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $555.97 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.61 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total transaction of $43,602.50. Following the sale, the director owned 49,001 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,546,264.41. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.81% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Legacy Bridge LLC grew its holdings in AeroVironment by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 4,046 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $979,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 3,709 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $897,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $261,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 29.7% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 188 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 10.5% in the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 495 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $120,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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