AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Price Target Raised to $210.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) had its price target raised by research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $200.00 to $210.00 in a report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the aerospace company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s target price points to a potential upside of 34.17% from the stock’s current price.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on AVAV. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday. Wolfe Research downgraded shares of AeroVironment to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of AeroVironment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, July 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $249.89.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

NASDAQ AVAV traded up $15.71 on Thursday, reaching $156.51. 3,361,917 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,626,274. The company has a current ratio of 4.30, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. AeroVironment has a one year low of $135.20 and a one year high of $417.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.95 billion, a PE ratio of -42.72, a PEG ratio of 5.15 and a beta of 1.41. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $159.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $179.83.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The firm had revenue of $480.49 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $451.95 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.32 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. Analysts expect that AeroVironment will post 3.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Brian Shackley sold 205 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total transaction of $41,381.30. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,592,271.68. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total value of $43,602.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 49,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 705 shares of company stock worth $132,979 over the last quarter. 0.79% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $94,655,000. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $574,566,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC increased its stake in AeroVironment by 289.9% during the 4th quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 222,055 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $53,714,000 after purchasing an additional 165,106 shares in the last quarter. MYDA Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter worth $3,628,000. Finally, Korea Investment CORP acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the second quarter worth $54,901,000. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment reported adjusted fiscal Q1 2027 EPS of $0.59, well above estimates ranging from $0.22 to $0.30. Revenue reached a record $480.5 million, up 5.7% year over year and ahead of expectations. AeroVironment Announces Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Funded backlog increased 37% year over year to a record $1.5 billion, with $700 million of bookings and a 1.4 book-to-bill ratio. Management said fiscal 2027 is off to a strong start. AeroVironment stock forecast as its revenue and backlog jumps
• Positive Sentiment: The company received its first international purchase order for its LOCUST directed-energy counter-drone system, valued at more than $50 million. Management believes laser weapons could become a major growth franchise. AV Secures First International Order for LOCUST Directed Energy Counter-Drone Systems
• Positive Sentiment: Needham and BTIG reaffirmed “buy” ratings with price targets of $225 and $205, respectively, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels.
• Neutral Sentiment: AeroVironment maintained its fiscal 2027 outlook, including revenue guidance around $2.1 billion to $2.2 billion and adjusted EPS guidance of $3.02 to $3.34. However, the revenue midpoint is slightly below analysts’ expectations. AeroVironment’s Q2 CY2026: Strong Sales
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that the stock’s earlier valuation assumed faster growth, while execution risks and the company’s negative GAAP net margin could keep volatility elevated. The shares have declined sharply from their prior peak, and broader risk-off trading has also pressured high-beta drone stocks.
• Negative Sentiment: A law firm has announced an investigation into AeroVironment’s board for potential fiduciary-duty breaches, adding an overhang even though no wrongdoing has been established. Berger Montague Investigates AeroVironment’s Board

AeroVironment Company Profile

AeroVironment, Inc (NASDAQ:AVAV) is a technology company specializing in unmanned aerial systems (UAS), tactical missiles and precision loitering munitions, electric vehicle charging and scalable energy systems. Headquartered in Monrovia, California, the company develops solutions for defense, public safety and commercial markets. Their offerings include small UAS for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as advanced weapons systems designed to meet the needs of modern military operations.

The company’s unmanned aerial systems portfolio features platforms such as the Raven, Puma and Switchblade series, which are deployed by the U.S.