AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Up 1.3% - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• AeroVironment shares rose 1.3% to $189.15, while trading volume was 13% below the average. The stock has a $9.57 billion market capitalization and trades below its 200-day moving average of $198.60.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive view, with 20 of 24 ratings at Buy or Strong Buy and an average price target of $266.68; however, some firms recently lowered their targets or downgraded the stock.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.84 in EPS versus $1.47 expected and $641.62 million in revenue, up 133.3% year over year. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the shares, including a newly disclosed $574.6 million BlackRock position.

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) shot up 1.3% on Monday . The company traded as high as $190.96 and last traded at $189.15. 1,425,223 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 13% from the average daily volume of 1,645,340 shares. The stock had previously closed at $186.73.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AVAV has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Zacks Research raised AeroVironment from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut AeroVironment from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $210.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their target price on AeroVironment from $280.00 to $240.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a "market outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $266.68.

AeroVironment Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 3.59, a current ratio of 4.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -51.40, a P/E/G ratio of 6.35 and a beta of 1.41. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $163.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $198.60.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.71% and a negative net margin of 9.00%.The business had revenue of $641.62 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $555.97 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.61 earnings per share. AeroVironment's quarterly 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. Analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at $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. 0.81% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in AeroVironment during the second quarter valued at approximately $574,566,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in AeroVironment by 8.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 884,395 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $213,956,000 after acquiring an additional 71,903 shares in the last quarter. Heard Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 48.4% during the 4th quarter. Heard Capital LLC now owns 722,150 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $174,681,000 after purchasing an additional 235,685 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 17.2% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 504,270 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $143,692,000 after purchasing an additional 73,963 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stephens Investment Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 18.8% during the 1st quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 490,426 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $89,772,000 after purchasing an additional 77,619 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.

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