Free Trial

Jefferies Financial Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock

AeroVironment logo with Aerospace background

Key Points

  • Jefferies Financial Group has raised its price target for AeroVironment (AVAV) stock from $320.00 to $365.00, indicating an expected upside of 11.56% from the last closing price.
  • Analysts currently have a consensus rating of "Buy" for AeroVironment, with an average target price of $317.23, supported by two Strong Buy ratings and sixteen Buy ratings from various brokerages.
  • AeroVironment's recent earnings report showed a revenue increase of 140% year-over-year, totaling $454.68 million, although it missed EPS estimates by $0.02.
  • Five stocks to consider instead of AeroVironment.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) had its target price boosted by equities research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $320.00 to $365.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the aerospace company's stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price target points to a potential upside of 11.56% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on AVAV. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $335.00 target price for the company. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, June 24th. They set a "buy" rating and a $240.00 price objective for the company. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Friday, September 19th. Zacks Research downgraded AeroVironment from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 23rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, June 30th. They set a "buy" rating and a $301.00 price objective for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $317.23.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on AVAV

AeroVironment Price Performance

NASDAQ AVAV traded up $12.28 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $327.17. The stock had a trading volume of 180,335 shares, compared to its average volume of 871,568. AeroVironment has a twelve month low of $102.25 and a twelve month high of $331.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -507.45, a PEG ratio of 5.24 and a beta of 1.02. The firm's 50 day moving average is $259.05 and its 200 day moving average is $206.10. 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 issued its earnings results on Tuesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.34 by ($0.02). AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 4.67% and a negative net margin of 4.14%.The company had revenue of $454.68 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.16 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.89 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 140.0% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.600-3.70 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that AeroVironment will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other news, CEO Wahid Nawabi sold 17,300 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.05, for a total transaction of $4,550,765.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 122,233 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,153,390.65. This trade represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. ORG Partners LLC raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 296.0% during the 2nd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 99 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. RMG Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its position in AeroVironment by 171.1% during the first quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 244 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in AeroVironment by 60.3% during the second quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 117 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, Spirit of America Management Corp NY acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the first quarter worth approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company's stock.

About AeroVironment

(Get Free Report)

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.

Read More

Analyst Recommendations for AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV)

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Should You Invest $1,000 in AeroVironment Right Now?

Before you consider AeroVironment, you'll want to hear this.

MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and AeroVironment wasn't on the list.

While AeroVironment currently has a Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.

View The Five Stocks Here

The Next 7 Blockbuster Stocks for Growth Investors Cover

Wondering what the next stocks will be that hit it big, with solid fundamentals? Enter your email address to see which stocks MarketBeat analysts could become the next blockbuster growth stocks.

Get This Free Report
Like this article? Share it with a colleague.