Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Lowers Stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. decreased its position in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 52.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm 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.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

AVAV has been the subject of several recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $190.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on AeroVironment from $220.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Raymond James raised shares of AeroVironment from a "market perform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $200.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $230.00 to $190.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, AeroVironment presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $197.83.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, CEO Wahid Nawabi sold 29,366 shares of the company's 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 115,174 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,765,306.80. This represents a 20.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.27% of the company's stock.

AeroVironment Trading Down 1.4%

NASDAQ:AVAV traded down $2.68 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $183.48. 718,150 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 427,420. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $152.81 and a 200-day moving average price of $158.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 105.45 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 4.61 and a quick ratio of 3.36. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12-month low of $102.25 and a 12-month high of $236.60.

AeroVironment 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.