RFG Advisory LLC Makes New $254,000 Investment in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Key Points

• RFG Advisory LLC has made a significant investment of $254,000 in AeroVironment, Inc., purchasing 891 shares in the 2nd quarter.
• Several institutional investors, including Ameriprise Financial, have significantly increased their positions in AeroVironment, with institutional ownership now at 86.38%.
• AeroVironment stock has received a consensus rating of "Buy" from analysts, with a current price target averaging $356.07.

RFG Advisory LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 891 shares of the aerospace company's stock, valued at approximately $254,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 281.6% during the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 430,307 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $51,288,000 after acquiring an additional 317,530 shares during the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 48.2% during the 1st quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 902,814 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $107,606,000 after acquiring an additional 293,553 shares during the last quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 41.0% during the 1st quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 763,489 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $91,000,000 after acquiring an additional 221,948 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 1st quarter valued at $23,501,000. Finally, Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 1st quarter valued at $16,802,000. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on the stock. New Street Research set a $365.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Oppenheimer reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Sunday, June 29th. BTIG Research upped their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $300.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, September 16th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $335.00 price objective for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $356.07.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

AVAV opened at $350.59 on Monday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $289.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $230.24. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 1 year low of $102.25 and a 1 year high of $417.86. The company has a market capitalization of $17.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -547.79, a P/E/G ratio of 5.95 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 5.96 and a quick ratio of 5.12.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 28th. The aerospace company reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 4.67% and a negative net margin of 4.14%.The firm had revenue of $132.62 million for the quarter. Equities analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 998 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $399.74, for a total value of $398,940.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 19,324 shares in the company, valued at $7,724,575.76. This trade represents a 4.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Trace E. Stevenson sold 1,717 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $381.00, for a total value of $654,177.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 4,907 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,869,567. The trade was a 25.92% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.81% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.

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