Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Aveanna Healthcare from “strong buy” to “buy,” though the broader analyst consensus remains “moderate buy” with an average price target of $11.78.
• Aveanna reported quarterly results above expectations, with revenue of $670.5 million and EPS of $0.22; management also raised its 2026 revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance.
• The stock opened at $12.32, near its 52-week high, while insiders sold more than 31.3 million shares worth approximately $215.6 million over the past three months.

Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

A number of other research firms have also commented on AVAH. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Aveanna Healthcare from $8.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of Aveanna Healthcare from a "sector perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $10.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Raymond James Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Aveanna Healthcare from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Aveanna Healthcare from $9.00 to $9.50 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their target price on Aveanna Healthcare from $9.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Aveanna Healthcare has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $11.78.

Aveanna Healthcare Price Performance

Shares of Aveanna Healthcare stock opened at $12.32 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.35, a current ratio of 1.47 and a quick ratio of 1.47. Aveanna Healthcare has a one year low of $5.93 and a one year high of $12.52. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $8.97 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $7.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.90.

Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The company reported $0.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.17 by $0.05. Aveanna Healthcare had a return on equity of 99.71% and a net margin of 10.56%.The firm had revenue of $670.48 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $638.61 million. Analysts forecast that Aveanna Healthcare will post 0.68 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Aveanna Healthcare news, major shareholder J.H. Whitney Equity Partners V sold 2,419,035 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.01, for a total transaction of $19,376,470.35. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 10,112,123 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $80,998,105.23. The trade was a 19.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Robert M. Williams, Jr. sold 3,000,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.01, for a total transaction of $24,030,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 190,130 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,522,941.30. This trade represents a 94.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 31,305,664 shares of company stock worth $215,555,910. Insiders own 5.30% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aveanna Healthcare

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Aveanna Healthcare in the second quarter worth about $63,504,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Aveanna Healthcare by 38.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,577,010 shares of the company's stock valued at $45,564,000 after purchasing an additional 1,535,351 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Aveanna Healthcare by 17.7% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,849,057 shares of the company's stock valued at $15,110,000 after purchasing an additional 278,429 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen LLC grew its stake in Aveanna Healthcare by 135.9% in the fourth quarter. Nuveen LLC now owns 1,571,308 shares of the company's stock worth $12,838,000 after purchasing an additional 905,316 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp grew its stake in Aveanna Healthcare by 20.9% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,483,265 shares of the company's stock worth $12,118,000 after purchasing an additional 256,392 shares during the period. 87.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Aveanna Healthcare

Here are the key news stories impacting Aveanna Healthcare this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results exceeded expectations. Revenue increased 13.7% year over year to $670.5 million, while net income rose to $40.3 million from $27.0 million. Adjusted EBITDA reached $95.4 million, up 8.0%, and adjusted EPS of $0.22 topped analyst estimates of $0.19. Aveanna Healthcare Second Quarter Financial Results and Revised 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised full-year guidance. Aveanna now expects 2026 revenue above $2.68 billion, compared with its previous $2.63 billion-$2.65 billion range, and adjusted EBITDA above $365 million, up from $338 million-$342 million. The company cited reimbursement improvements, preferred-payer relationships and continued demand for complex home care. AVAH Q2 Earnings Call Highlights Higher Growth Targets
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts lifted their price targets. BMO Capital Markets raised its target from $10 to $14 and maintained an “outperform” rating. UBS raised its target from $8 to $13, although it retained a “neutral” rating. The revisions signal improved earnings expectations and support the stock’s recent strength. Benzinga analyst price target updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Growth is concentrated in Private Duty Services, which generates roughly 83% of revenue. Rapid revenue expansion is offsetting pressure on gross margins across business segments, making margin trends an important focus for investors. Aveanna Healthcare Q2 Earnings Report

Aveanna Healthcare Company Profile

Aveanna Healthcare, Inc NASDAQ: AVAH is a national provider of in-home health care services, specializing in pediatric skilled nursing, therapy, and related support for medically complex and chronically ill children. The company delivers a range of clinical and therapeutic solutions designed to enable patients to receive care in the comfort of their own homes, reducing the need for hospital stays and long-term institutional care. Aveanna's offerings include registered nursing, physical, occupational and speech therapy, behavioral health counseling, and durable medical equipment coordination.

In addition to pediatric home health services, Aveanna operates adult home health and personal care support programs, assisting elderly and disabled adults with daily living activities, medication management, and rehabilitation therapies.

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