AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Up 9.1% - Here's Why

Key Points

• AeroVironment shares jumped 9.1% to $186.73, with trading volume 15% above its average as the stock rebounded from a prior close of $171.12.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.84 in adjusted EPS versus $1.47 expected and $641.62 million in revenue versus $555.97 million forecast; revenue rose 133.3% year over year.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $266.68 average price target, despite some recent target-price reductions and one sell rating.

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) shot up 9.1% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $187.50 and last traded at $186.73. 1,896,611 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 15% from the average daily volume of 1,645,168 shares. The stock had previously closed at $171.12.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AVAV has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wolfe Research cut shares of AeroVironment to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. William Blair reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $248.00 to $235.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d)" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $225.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $266.68.

AeroVironment Stock Up 9.1%

The company's 50 day moving average price is $163.60 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $200.06. The company has a current ratio of 4.30, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm has a market cap of $9.45 billion, a PE ratio of -50.74, a PEG ratio of 5.72 and a beta of 1.41.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total transaction of $43,602.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. F m Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth $1,775,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter valued at $94,655,000. MYDA Advisors LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter valued at $3,628,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in AeroVironment by 289.9% in the 4th quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 222,055 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $53,714,000 after acquiring an additional 165,106 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 92.2% in the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 20,173 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $5,168,000 after purchasing an additional 9,675 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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