AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Price Down 15.8% - What's Next?

Key Points

• Share plunge: AVAV fell 15.8% to $330.89 on Tuesday with volume up 71% after the company missed Q2 EPS ($0.44 vs. $0.87 est.) despite revenue of $472.5M (up 150.7% Y/Y) and set FY2026 guidance of 3.400–3.550 EPS.
• Analyst sentiment: Analysts remain largely positive — consensus rating is "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $375.41 and multiple buy/strong-buy ratings (targets up to $450).
• Insider and institutional activity: Insiders sold roughly 3,223 shares (~$1.09M) recently, while institutional investors hold about 86.38% of the stock.

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report)'s stock price fell 15.8% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $325.09 and last traded at $330.89. 3,485,261 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 71% from the average session volume of 2,035,323 shares. The stock had previously closed at $392.86.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have issued reports on AVAV shares. Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating and set a $400.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. New Street Research set a $365.00 target price on AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on AeroVironment from $486.00 to $429.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. BNP Paribas raised shares of AeroVironment to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a "buy" rating and issued a $450.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $375.41.

AeroVironment Trading Down 15.8%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 5.08 and a quick ratio of 4.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.52 billion, a PE ratio of -264.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.80 and a beta of 1.16. The business's 50-day moving average price is $286.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $291.43.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.43). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.08% and a positive return on equity of 3.42%. The business had revenue of $472.51 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $466.16 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.47 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 150.7% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total transaction of $50,184.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,994 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,504,014.48. This represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total value 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. The trade was a 1.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 3,223 shares of company stock worth $1,092,503. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% during the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. ORG Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 296.0% in the second quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 99 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RMG Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.38% of the company's stock.

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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