AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Down 1.1% - Here's Why

Key Points

• AeroVironment shares fell 1.1% to $193.81 in midday trading, with volume 38% below the stock’s average daily volume.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $266.68, although Jefferies and Stifel recently cut their targets to $229 and $220, respectively.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.84 in earnings per share and $641.62 million in revenue; revenue surged 133.3% year over year despite a negative net margin of 9%.

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) shares dropped 1.1% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $191.18 and last traded at $193.81. 1,013,044 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 38% from the average daily volume of 1,635,854 shares. The stock had previously closed at $196.02.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $305.00 to $229.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Zacks Research upgraded shares of AeroVironment from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d)" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Wedbush started coverage on AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $250.00 price target for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AeroVironment currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $266.68.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

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 company's 50-day simple moving average is $162.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $196.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -52.67, a PEG ratio of 6.43 and a beta of 1.41.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. NewEdge Wealth LLC boosted its position in AeroVironment by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 3,709 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $897,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $261,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 29.7% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 188 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. Family Legacy Inc. grew its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Family Legacy Inc. now owns 2,326 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $563,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 73.8% in the 4th quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 139 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source