AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Sold by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lessened its stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 52.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,164 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 2,367 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in AeroVironment were worth $333,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. CoreCap Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 120.2% in the 4th quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 185 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the period. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Colonial Trust Advisors acquired a new stake in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Accredited Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 1,515.4% in the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 210 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AeroVironment news, CEO Wahid Nawabi sold 29,366 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.20, for a total transaction of $3,764,721.20. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 115,174 shares in the company, valued at $14,765,306.80. The trade was a 20.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.27% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

AeroVironment Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of NASDAQ AVAV traded up $1.43 during trading on Friday, reaching $169.07. 278,355 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 415,456. The company has a market capitalization of $4.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 97.17 and a beta of 0.80. The business's 50-day moving average price is $144.49 and its 200 day moving average price is $160.49. The company has a quick ratio of 3.36, a current ratio of 4.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. AeroVironment, Inc. has a twelve month low of $102.25 and a twelve month high of $236.60.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AVAV has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of AeroVironment from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $230.00 to $190.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $220.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $190.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, May 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $197.83.

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.