AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Up 2% - Here's Why

Key Points

• AeroVironment's shares increased by 2% during trading on Tuesday, reaching a high of $316.60, with significant trading volume surpassing the average by 17%.
• Recent upgrades from research firms included a "buy" rating from Bank of America and a "strong-buy" from Citizens JMP, contributing to a consensus rating of "Buy" with an average price target of $304.69.
• The company reported a 140% year-over-year increase in quarterly revenue despite missing EPS estimates, with projected FY 2026 guidance set between 3.600 to 3.700 EPS.

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) shot up 2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $316.60 and last traded at $314.89. 1,028,382 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 17% from the average session volume of 875,457 shares. The stock had previously closed at $308.69.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on AVAV. Bank of America began coverage on AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, September 18th. They set a "buy" rating and a $300.00 target price on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Monday, June 30th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $301.00 price target on the stock. Citizens Jmp started coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, August 4th. They issued a "strong-buy" rating and a $325.00 target price for the company. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their target price on AeroVironment from $210.00 to $267.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $304.69.

AeroVironment Trading Up 2.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 5.96 and a quick ratio of 5.12. The stock has a market cap of $15.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -492.01, a P/E/G ratio of 5.11 and a beta of 1.03. The business's 50 day moving average is $258.00 and its 200 day moving average is $205.34.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.34 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $454.68 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $446.16 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 4.14% and a positive return on equity of 4.67%. AeroVironment's quarterly revenue was up 140.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.89 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.600-3.70 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other AeroVironment news, CEO Wahid Nawabi sold 17,300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.05, for a total transaction of $4,550,765.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 122,233 shares of the company's stock, valued at $32,153,390.65. This trade represents a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AVAV. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 1,601 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $246,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter worth approximately $4,872,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 4th quarter worth $251,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 171.1% in the 1st quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 244 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 17,752.2% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 80,692 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $9,618,000 after purchasing an additional 80,240 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AeroVironment Company Profile

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.

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