State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D Sells 7,149 Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)

State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D decreased its stake in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 27.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 18,499 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 7,149 shares during the period. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D owned approximately 0.07% of AeroVironment worth $2,332,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. Raymond James & Associates increased its position in shares of AeroVironment by 74.2% during the third quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 82,399 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $9,190,000 after acquiring an additional 35,095 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its position in AeroVironment by 31.3% in the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 38,678 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $4,314,000 after purchasing an additional 9,216 shares in the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its position in AeroVironment by 18.4% in the third quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 4,232 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $472,000 after purchasing an additional 658 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new position in AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at $133,000. Finally, Emerald Advisers LLC grew its position in AeroVironment by 10.9% in the third quarter. Emerald Advisers LLC now owns 231,094 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $25,774,000 after purchasing an additional 22,769 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company's stock.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

AVAV stock traded up $3.19 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $165.72. The stock had a trading volume of 301,160 shares, compared to its average volume of 330,696. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.66 billion, a PE ratio of -38.25 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 4.66 and a quick ratio of 3.16. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $149.42 and a 200 day simple moving average of $133.19. AeroVironment, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $88.24 and a fifty-two week high of $184.61.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, March 4th. The aerospace company reported $0.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.30. The company had revenue of $186.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $170.62 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 15.14% and a positive return on equity of 13.93%. AeroVironment's quarterly revenue was up 38.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.33 EPS. Analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 2.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other news, SVP Melissa Ann Brown sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.77, for a total transaction of $176,770.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 12,339 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,181,165.03. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, VP Trace E. Stevenson sold 1,913 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.00, for a total transaction of $350,079.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 2,570 shares of the company's stock, valued at $470,310. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Melissa Ann Brown sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $176.77, for a total transaction of $176,770.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 12,339 shares in the company, valued at $2,181,165.03. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AVAV has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, April 5th. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, March 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $161.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Friday, March 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $140.20.

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.