AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Rating Upgraded by Clear Str

Key Points

• Research firm Clear Str upgraded AeroVironment to a "strong-buy", sending the stock up about 6.3% as analysts remain broadly positive (2 Strong Buy, 18 Buy, 2 Hold, 2 Sell) with an average target price of $318.78.
• The company missed quarterly expectations—EPS $0.64 vs. $0.68 consensus and revenue $408.05M vs. $487.94M—but revenue was up 143% year-over-year and management guided FY2026 EPS of 2.75–3.10 (analysts expect 2.94).
• Insiders have been selling recently (2,975 shares worth ~$740K over 90 days) while institutional ownership is high at 86.38%, indicating heavy institutional interest despite insider reductions.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Clear Str to a "strong-buy" rating in a report released on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

AVAV has been the subject of several other research reports. BTIG Research lowered their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Citigroup restated a "market outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $320.00 price target for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $318.78.

AeroVironment Stock Up 6.3%

AVAV stock opened at $195.02 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 5.51 and a quick ratio of 4.54. AeroVironment has a 1-year low of $150.29 and a 1-year high of $417.86. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $207.62 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $269.31. The firm has a market cap of $9.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -44.94, a PEG ratio of 3.20 and a beta of 1.38.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.68 by ($0.04). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.26%. The business had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $487.94 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.30 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. Research analysts predict that AeroVironment will post 2.94 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.29, for a total value of $49,322.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 49,501 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,766,052.29. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.55, for a total transaction of $88,921.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 16,026 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,598,638.30. The trade was a 2.41% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 2,975 shares of company stock valued at $740,324 over the last 90 days. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. ARK Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 28.9% in the third quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 400,457 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $126,100,000 after purchasing an additional 89,697 shares during the period. State of Michigan Retirement System acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the third quarter worth about $2,393,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 550.7% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 178,204 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $56,115,000 after acquiring an additional 150,819 shares during the last quarter. Keystone Investors PTE Ltd. acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,355,000. Finally, Rheos Capital Works Inc. acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter valued at about $37,787,000. 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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