AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Down 3.9% - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• AeroVironment traded down 3.9% to $201.91 on Thursday with volume about 39% below average, leaving the stock below its 50‑day ($214.98) and 200‑day ($276.93) moving averages.
• Several analysts cut price targets recently (e.g., BTIG to $330, Canaccord to $300, UBS to $236), though the consensus remains a “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $318.78.
• The company missed quarterly expectations (EPS $0.64 vs. $0.68 expected; revenue $408.05M vs. $487.94M expected) despite 143% YoY revenue growth, and it set FY2026 guidance of 2.75–3.10 EPS (street at ~2.94).

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) shares traded down 3.9% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $196.74 and last traded at $201.91. 1,049,881 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 39% from the average session volume of 1,727,572 shares. The stock had previously closed at $210.10.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. BTIG Research cut their target price on AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their target price on AeroVironment from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. UBS Group cut their target price on AeroVironment from $259.00 to $236.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Citizens Jmp decreased their price objective on AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on AeroVironment from $325.00 to $250.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $318.78.

AeroVironment Trading Down 3.9%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 5.51 and a quick ratio of 4.54. The company has a market capitalization of $10.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -46.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.66 and a beta of 1.38. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $214.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $276.93.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other AeroVironment news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.55, for a total value of $88,921.80. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 16,026 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,598,638.30. The trade was a 2.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.29, for a total transaction of $49,322.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 49,501 shares in the company, valued at $9,766,052.29. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 2,975 shares of company stock valued at $740,324. 0.81% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AVAV. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the first quarter valued at about $225,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the second quarter valued at about $285,000. American Century Companies Inc. acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the second quarter worth $633,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in AeroVironment by 5,200.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 159 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP grew its holdings in AeroVironment by 0.4% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 24,188 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $6,892,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. 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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