AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Down 5.2% – Here’s Why

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s stock price was down 5.2% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $186.18 and last traded at $191.42. Approximately 1,565,955 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 10% from the average daily volume of 1,742,562 shares. The stock had previously closed at $201.99.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AVAV has been the topic of several analyst reports. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $259.00 to $236.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Piper Sandler cut their target price on AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. BTIG Research reduced their target price on AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Citizens Jmp decreased their price target on AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, KeyCorp lowered their price target on AeroVironment from $330.00 to $295.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $318.78.

AeroVironment Price Performance

The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $219.57 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $281.22. The stock has a market cap of $9.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -44.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 5.51 and a quick ratio of 4.54.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.68 by ($0.04). AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.26% and a negative net margin of 13.93%.The company had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.30 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. Research analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 500 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.95, for a total transaction of $127,475.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 50,501 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,875,229.95. This trade represents a 0.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 879 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $267.60, for a total value of $235,220.40. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 16,422 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,394,527.20. This trade represents a 5.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 2,725 shares of company stock worth $691,001. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% in the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 7.8% during the third quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 498 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $157,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Legacy Bridge LLC boosted its position in AeroVironment by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 4,046 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $979,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC grew its stake in AeroVironment by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 3,709 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $897,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of AeroVironment by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $261,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.