AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Given "Buy" Rating at BTIG Research

Key Points

• BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating for AeroVironment (AVAV), setting a price target of $300.00, suggesting a potential upside of 21.43% from its current stock price.
• Other analysts have also shown confidence in AeroVironment, with price targets ranging from $267.00 to $325.00 by various firms, reflecting an overall positive outlook.
• The company's quarterly earnings reported a revenue increase of 140% year-over-year, despite a slight miss in earnings per share relative to consensus estimates.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating reiterated by equities research analysts at BTIG Research in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $300.00 target price on the aerospace company's stock. BTIG Research's price target would suggest a potential upside of 23.46% from the company's current price.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on AVAV. JMP Securities restated a "market outperform" rating and set a $325.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, August 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, June 30th. They set a "buy" rating and a $301.00 target price on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday. Raymond James Financial set a $225.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AeroVironment from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have issued a Buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $292.33.

AeroVironment Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AVAV traded up $1.19 during trading on Thursday, reaching $243.00. 781,420 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 902,990. The firm has a market cap of $12.13 billion, a PE ratio of -379.68 and a beta of 1.02. AeroVironment has a fifty-two week low of $102.25 and a fifty-two week high of $295.90. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $251.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $193.23. The company has a quick ratio of 2.69, a current ratio of 5.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Wahid Nawabi sold 17,300 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.05, for a total value of $4,550,765.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 122,233 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,153,390.65. This trade represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 14.3% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,478,114 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $991,089,000 after acquiring an additional 433,830 shares during the period. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 48.2% in the first quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 902,814 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $107,606,000 after acquiring an additional 293,553 shares during the last quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 41.0% in the 1st quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 763,489 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $91,000,000 after purchasing an additional 221,948 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in AeroVironment by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 678,431 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $193,342,000 after buying an additional 6,475 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of AeroVironment by 75.6% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 609,019 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $173,540,000 after purchasing an additional 262,239 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AeroVironment Company Profile

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.