Robert W. Baird Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock

Key Points

• Analysts at Robert W. Baird increased their price target for AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) from $267.00 to $350.00, indicating an 11.15% potential upside from the stock's previous close.
• Despite the positive forecast from Baird, Zacks Research downgraded AeroVironment from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold," while other analysts maintain a consensus rating of "Buy" with an average target price of $311.08.
• AeroVironment reported $0.32 EPS for the last quarter, missing estimates, but saw revenue increase by 140% year-over-year to $454.68 million, exceeding analyst expectations.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) had its price objective increased by analysts at Robert W. Baird from $267.00 to $350.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "outperform" rating on the aerospace company's stock. Robert W. Baird's price target would indicate a potential upside of 11.15% from the stock's previous close.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Zacks Research downgraded AeroVironment from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 23rd. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Sunday, June 29th. Canaccord Genuity Group assumed coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Monday, August 11th. They set a "buy" rating and a $305.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, September 18th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $300.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $335.00 target price on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $311.08.

AeroVironment Trading Up 2.0%

Shares of AVAV opened at $314.89 on Wednesday. AeroVironment has a 52-week low of $102.25 and a 52-week high of $317.11. The stock has a market cap of $15.72 billion, a PE ratio of -492.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.24 and a beta of 1.02. The firm's fifty day moving average is $259.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $206.10. The company has a quick ratio of 5.12, a current ratio of 5.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.34 by ($0.02). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 4.14% and a positive return on equity of 4.67%. The business had revenue of $454.68 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.16 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.89 earnings per share. AeroVironment's quarterly revenue was up 140.0% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.600-3.70 EPS. Research analysts forecast that AeroVironment will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Wahid Nawabi sold 17,300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.05, for a total value of $4,550,765.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 122,233 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,153,390.65. The trade was a 12.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.81% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Corient Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $433,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its position in shares of AeroVironment by 0.7% during the second quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 20,717 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $5,903,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares during the period. Cim Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the second quarter valued at $729,000. Cim LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the second quarter valued at $435,000. Finally, Castleark Management LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment in the second quarter valued at $8,449,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.38% of the company's stock.

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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