AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Rated Equal Weight in New Coverage at Barclays

Key Points

• Barclays initiated coverage of AeroVironment with an “equal weight” rating and a $237 price target, implying 72.24% upside from the prior close. The broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with an average target of $228.80.
• AeroVironment exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.59 in EPS versus the $0.22 consensus estimate and $480.49 million in revenue, up 5.7% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2027 EPS guidance of $3.02–$3.34.
• Recent defense wins—including a $464.8 million U.S. Army laser contract and a more than $50 million international LOCUST order—are expanding the company beyond unmanned aircraft, while institutional investors own 86.38% of its stock.

Equities researchers at Barclays initiated coverage on shares of AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) in a report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm set an "equal weight" rating and a $237.00 price target on the aerospace company's stock. Barclays's target price would suggest a potential upside of 72.24% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $205.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $248.00 to $235.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $166.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $229.00 to $204.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, AeroVironment presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $228.80.

AeroVironment Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $137.60 on Friday. AeroVironment has a 12-month low of $134.25 and a 12-month high of $417.86. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $157.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $168.12. The company has a market capitalization of $6.99 billion, a PE ratio of -58.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a current ratio of 4.26, a quick ratio of 3.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 4.04% and a negative net margin of 5.77%.The firm had revenue of $480.49 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $451.95 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.32 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that AeroVironment will post 3.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen Page sold 250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $152.27, for a total transaction of $38,067.50. Following the sale, the director owned 48,253 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,347,484.31. The trade was a 0.52% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Brian Shackley sold 205 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total value of $41,381.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,888 shares in the company, valued at $1,592,271.68. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 805 shares of company stock valued at $142,671. 0.79% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $574,566,000. Heard Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 48.4% during the fourth 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. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 18.8% during the first quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 490,426 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $89,772,000 after purchasing an additional 77,619 shares during the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. lifted its position in AeroVironment by 20.1% during the third quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 595,134 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $84,640,000 after purchasing an additional 99,494 shares during the period. Finally, American Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the second quarter valued at $69,745,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company's stock.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment received a $464.8 million U.S. Army production contract for its Enduring High Energy Laser program. The award expands AVAV beyond unmanned aircraft and could provide a meaningful new source of defense revenue. AeroVironment Lands $464.8 Million Directed Energy Contract
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s LOCUST laser weapon system secured its first international order, valued at more than $50 million, including initial delivery and support. International adoption could broaden AVAV’s growth beyond U.S. government contracts. Can LOCUST Lasers Power the Next Leg of AeroVironment Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights record revenue and backlog, growing demand for autonomous systems, and additional defense contracts. These factors support the longer-term growth case, although investors still want evidence that bookings can translate into sustained earnings and cash flow. Can AeroVironment Scale Autonomous Systems to Drive Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment’s VideoRay subsidiary was selected for a U.S. Navy mine-countermeasure prototype program, adding another potential avenue for future defense work. AeroVironment VideoRay Selected for U.S. Navy Program

AeroVironment Company Profile

AeroVironment, Inc is a defense technology company that develops and supplies autonomous systems, uncrewed aircraft, loitering munitions and counter-uncrewed-aircraft systems. Its portfolio includes small unmanned aircraft systems such as Raven, Puma and Wasp, as well as larger platforms including JUMP 20 and Quantix Recon.

The company is also known for its Switchblade family of loitering munitions, which combine surveillance, target identification and precision strike capabilities. AeroVironment provides related ground control systems, sensors, software, communications equipment, training and support services for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Founded in 1971 by aerospace engineer Paul B.

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.