AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Down 1.7% - Here's Why

Key Points

• AeroVironment's stock price decreased by 1.7% during trading, closing at $278.55, with a notable increase in trading volume of 130% from its average.
• Analysts maintain a strong outlook for AeroVironment, with a consensus rating of "Buy" and a price target averaging $292.92, while several firms have set targets as high as $305.00.
• The company reported earnings of $0.32 per share, falling short of estimates, but achieved a 140% year-over-year increase in revenue, totaling $454.68 million.

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report)'s stock price dropped 1.7% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $277.94 and last traded at $278.55. Approximately 1,986,601 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 130% from the average daily volume of 863,565 shares. The stock had previously closed at $283.43.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AVAV has been the subject of several research reports. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $210.00 to $267.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $300.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, September 9th. Raymond James Financial set a $225.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 25th. Canaccord Genuity Group started coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, August 11th. They set a "buy" rating and a $305.00 price target for the company. Finally, William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $292.92.

AeroVironment Price Performance

The business's 50 day moving average is $254.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $196.23. The firm has a market cap of $13.91 billion, a P/E ratio of -435.23 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a quick ratio of 5.12, a current ratio of 5.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.34 by ($0.02). AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 4.67% and a negative net margin of 4.14%.The firm had revenue of $454.68 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $446.16 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.89 EPS. AeroVironment's quarterly revenue was up 140.0% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.600-3.70 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Wahid Nawabi sold 17,300 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.05, for a total transaction of $4,550,765.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 122,233 shares of the company's stock, valued at $32,153,390.65. This trade represents a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of AVAV. ORG Partners LLC grew its holdings in AeroVironment by 296.0% in the second quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 99 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. RMG Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the second quarter worth $28,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in AeroVironment by 171.1% in the first quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 244 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its holdings in AeroVironment by 60.3% in the second quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 117 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, Spirit of America Management Corp NY acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the first quarter worth $36,000. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About AeroVironment

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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