AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading 3% Higher - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• AeroVironment's stock has seen a 3% increase, trading at $232.87 with a market cap of $11.85 billion.
• Analysts have a mostly positive outlook, with an average rating of "Buy" and a target price of $292.33, supported by firms like Citizens Jmp and Citigroup.
• The company's recent earnings report showed a strong performance, exceeding consensus estimates with a 39.6% year-over-year revenue growth and an EPS of $1.61.

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) shot up 3% on Monday . The stock traded as high as $235.07 and last traded at $232.87. 384,532 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 53% from the average session volume of 820,584 shares. The stock had previously closed at $226.08.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on AVAV. Citizens Jmp began coverage on AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, August 4th. They issued a "strong-buy" rating and a $325.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup started coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, August 4th. They set an "outperform" rating for the company. Needham & Company LLC initiated coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, August 19th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $300.00 target price on the stock. Raymond James Financial set a $225.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 25th. Finally, BTIG Research increased their target price on AeroVironment from $225.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 24th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have given a Buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $292.33.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $11.85 billion, a PE ratio of 153.19 and a beta of 1.03. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $253.27 and a 200 day moving average price of $190.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a current ratio of 3.52 and a quick ratio of 2.69.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, June 24th. The aerospace company reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.20. AeroVironment had a net margin of 5.32% and a return on equity of 10.68%. The business had revenue of $275.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $242.69 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.43 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 39.6% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.800-3.000 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In related news, CEO Wahid Nawabi sold 17,300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.05, for a total value of $4,550,765.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 122,233 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,153,390.65. The trade was a 12.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.81% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC grew its stake in AeroVironment by 41.0% during the 1st quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 763,489 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $91,000,000 after acquiring an additional 221,948 shares in the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 35.4% in the 1st quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 17,873 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $2,130,000 after purchasing an additional 4,669 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR increased its stake in AeroVironment by 94.8% in the 1st quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 4,415 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $526,000 after buying an additional 2,148 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in AeroVironment by 17.0% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 45,272 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $6,967,000 after purchasing an additional 6,589 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,142,000. 86.38% of the stock is currently 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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