AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Up 6.2% – Time to Buy?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) shares rose 6.2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $170.30 and last traded at $169.02. 1,835,667 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 11% from the average session volume of 1,653,001 shares. The stock had previously closed at $159.18.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on AVAV. Wolfe Research lowered shares of AeroVironment to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on AeroVironment from $305.00 to $229.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their target price on AeroVironment from $280.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised AeroVironment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $266.68.

AeroVironment Trading Up 6.2%

The company’s fifty day moving average is $164.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $204.60. The company has a quick ratio of 3.59, a current ratio of 4.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a market cap of $8.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -45.93, a PEG ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 1.41.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The company had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $555.97 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.61 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total value of $43,602.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at $8,546,264.41. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AVAV. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 8.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 884,395 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $213,956,000 after buying an additional 71,903 shares during the period. Heard Capital LLC grew its stake in AeroVironment by 48.4% in the fourth quarter. Heard Capital LLC now owns 722,150 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $174,681,000 after purchasing an additional 235,685 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its stake in AeroVironment by 17.2% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 504,270 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $143,692,000 after purchasing an additional 73,963 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC increased its holdings in AeroVironment by 18.8% in the first quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 490,426 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $89,772,000 after buying an additional 77,619 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its holdings in AeroVironment by 7.4% in the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 477,055 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $135,937,000 after buying an additional 32,721 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

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.