AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Upgraded to "Hold" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded AeroVironment from “sell” to “hold”, adding to a mixed analyst backdrop for the stock.
• Other analysts remain generally constructive, with the company carrying an overall “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $318.78, though several firms recently cut their targets.
• AeroVironment is also facing securities class-action lawsuits tied to alleged misleading statements, including claims related to its $1.7 billion SCAR contract, which could create legal and headline risk.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued on Sunday.

A number of other research firms have also commented on AVAV. KeyCorp cut their price objective on AeroVironment from $330.00 to $295.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on AeroVironment from $389.00 to $315.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. Zacks Research raised AeroVironment from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on AeroVironment from $325.00 to $250.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $318.78.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $185.92 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $9.28 billion, a P/E ratio of -42.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a current ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock's 50-day moving average is $184.91 and its 200-day moving average is $238.46. AeroVironment has a 1-year low of $156.00 and a 1-year high of $417.86.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total value of $53,130.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 49,751 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,573,082.52. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 16,026 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,598,638.30. This trade represents a 2.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 1,346 shares of company stock valued at $274,456. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Rothschild Investment LLC lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 7.8% in the third quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 498 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $157,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the period. Legacy Bridge LLC lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 4,046 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $979,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. NewEdge Wealth LLC lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 1.1% in the fourth 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. lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $261,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 29.7% in the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 188 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms announced or reiterated securities class-action claims against AeroVironment, saying investors who bought shares between June 25, 2025 and March 10, 2026 may pursue recovery, with a lead-plaintiff deadline of July 27, 2026. Article: AVAV Investors Have Opportunity to Lead AeroVironment, Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit with the Schall Law Firm
• Negative Sentiment: The complaints allege AeroVironment and certain executives made false or misleading statements, including claims tied to the company’s $1.7 billion SCAR contract, which raises uncertainty and potential legal costs. Article: SueWallSt Reminds Shareholders of a Lead Plaintiff Deadline of July 27, 2026 in AeroVironment, Inc. Lawsuit - AVAV
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional firms, including Faruqi & Faruqi, Rosen, Pomerantz, Robbins Geller, Berger Montague, and others, issued investor alerts about the same lawsuit, extending the news flow but adding little new business information. Article: AVAV INVESTOR ACTION: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Reminds AeroVironment (AVAV) Investors of Securities Class Action Deadline on July 27, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: A market note also said AeroVironment and peer Kratos Defense were trading lower, likely reflecting broader weakness in defense-drone names alongside the lawsuit headlines. Article: AeroVironment and Kratos stocks trade down, what you need to know

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.