AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Price Up 5.7% - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• AeroVironment stock rose 5.7% to $285.41 on Tuesday (high $285.59) on lighter-than-average volume (1.06M vs. avg 1.80M).
• Wall Street sentiment is positive with a consensus "Buy" rating and an average price target of $378.06 (multiple Buy/Strong Buy recommendations cited).
• The company reported $0.44 EPS for the most recent quarter (missing the $0.87 estimate) while revenue of $472.5M beat expectations and was up 150.7% year-over-year; FY2026 guidance is $3.40–$3.55 EPS.

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report)'s share price traded up 5.7% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $285.59 and last traded at $285.41. 1,064,084 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 41% from the average session volume of 1,795,187 shares. The stock had previously closed at $269.99.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Friday. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $390.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, December 11th. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated a "strong-buy" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $378.06.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 5.08, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm's fifty day moving average is $288.60 and its 200 day moving average is $294.90. The company has a market cap of $14.25 billion, a PE ratio of -228.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.12 and a beta of 1.16.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of AeroVironment 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total value of $367,232.40. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 17,301 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,359,847.60. The trade was a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 3,223 shares of company stock worth $1,092,503. Insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AVAV. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% in the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 7.8% in the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 498 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $157,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 4,046 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $979,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 3,709 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $897,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its position in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% in the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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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