Archer Aviation (NYSE:ACHR) Stock Price Down 2.1% After Insider Selling

Key Points

• Archer Aviation shares fell 2.1% after insider selling, with the stock trading below the prior close on heavier-than-normal volume.
• CFO Priya Gupta and insider Eric Lentell sold shares recently, but the company said the transactions were made to cover tax withholding obligations tied to equity vesting.
• Despite the selloff, analyst sentiment remains mixed-to-positive, with Archer holding an average “Moderate Buy” rating and a consensus price target of $11.83.

Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE:ACHR - Get Free Report) shares fell 2.1% during trading on Wednesday following insider selling activity. The company traded as low as $5.74 and last traded at $5.7850. 46,817,242 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 33% from the average session volume of 35,284,105 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.91.

Specifically, CFO Priya Gupta sold 9,860 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.95, for a total transaction of $58,667.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 189,050 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,124,847.50. This represents a 4.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Eric Lentell sold 48,169 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.95, for a total transaction of $286,605.55. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 141,084 shares of the company's stock, valued at $839,449.80. The trade was a 25.45% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In other Archer Aviation news, insider Eric Lentell sold 39,967 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.06, for a total value of $242,200.02. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 189,253 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,146,873.18. This trade represents a 17.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on ACHR. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Archer Aviation in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Needham & Company LLC cut their price target on Archer Aviation from $10.00 to $9.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price target on Archer Aviation from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Archer Aviation has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $11.83.

Archer Aviation News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Archer Aviation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Seeking Alpha upgraded Archer Aviation to Buy with an $8–$10 price target, citing faster-than-expected FAA certification progress and new revenue opportunities. The report says Archer became the first eVTOL company to reach Phase 4 of FAA certification, which could reduce regulatory risk and speed commercialization. Article title
• Positive Sentiment: The same analysis highlighted several potential 2026 revenue drivers, including commercial operations in the UAE, the U.S. eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, and defense contracts, with projected revenue of $30 million to $60 million and about $1.2 billion in year-end liquidity. Article title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several insider sales were disclosed, including CFO Priya Gupta, CTO Thomas Paul Muniz, and insider Eric Lentell. The company said the sales were made to cover tax withholding obligations related to equity vesting, which makes the moves less concerning, but they can still weigh on sentiment. Article title
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage on Archer’s ongoing legal and competitive battle with rival Joby Aviation added noise around the stock, but did not indicate a major new fundamental development. Article title
• Negative Sentiment: Recent earnings remain weak: Archer reported a quarterly loss of $0.28 per share versus expectations for a $0.25 loss, and revenue of $1.60 million also came in slightly below estimates. That reinforces concerns about cash burn and how far the company still is from meaningful commercial revenue. Article title

Archer Aviation Stock Down 2.1%

The business's 50-day moving average is $5.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $7.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.26 and a beta of 3.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 18.06 and a current ratio of 18.06.

Archer Aviation (NYSE:ACHR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 11th. The company reported ($0.28) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.25) by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $1.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.66 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($0.17) earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Archer Aviation Inc. will post -1.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACHR. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Archer Aviation by 45.8% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 52,363,259 shares of the company's stock valued at $501,640,000 after acquiring an additional 16,452,398 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Archer Aviation during the fourth quarter worth $58,494,000. Man Group plc raised its holdings in shares of Archer Aviation by 13,793.3% during the second quarter. Man Group plc now owns 4,212,722 shares of the company's stock worth $45,708,000 after acquiring an additional 4,182,400 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in shares of Archer Aviation by 423.3% during the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 5,126,217 shares of the company's stock worth $38,549,000 after acquiring an additional 4,146,574 shares during the period. Finally, ARK Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Archer Aviation by 12.4% in the fourth quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 35,170,701 shares of the company's stock valued at $264,484,000 after purchasing an additional 3,869,252 shares in the last quarter. 59.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Archer Aviation

Archer Aviation, Inc NYSE: ACHR is a California-based aerospace company developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed to serve as sustainable urban air mobility solutions. Founded in 2018 by Adam Goldstein and Brett Adcock, Archer focuses on the design, development and certification of zero-emissions air taxis aimed at reducing traffic congestion in densely populated metropolitan areas. The company's flagship prototypes, “Maker” and “Midnight,” have been engineered to deliver quiet, efficient short-haul flights with ranges of up to 100 miles per charge.

Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Archer operates a manufacturing facility in nearby Santa Cruz County and maintains research partnerships with automotive and energy companies, including a collaboration with Stellantis to integrate advanced battery systems.

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