Wall Street Zen Upgrades Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH) to Strong-Buy

Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

AVAH has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Barclays upped their target price on Aveanna Healthcare from $9.50 to $15.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Aveanna Healthcare from $8.00 to $15.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Weiss Ratings raised Aveanna Healthcare from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Aveanna Healthcare in a research report on Friday. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Aveanna Healthcare from $11.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, August 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Aveanna Healthcare has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $14.25.

Aveanna Healthcare Stock Down 6.0%

AVAH stock opened at $11.50 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $13.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $9.46. The company has a market capitalization of $2.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 2.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.47, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 1.16. Aveanna Healthcare has a 12 month low of $5.93 and a 12 month high of $14.71.

Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 12th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $695.54 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $679.48 million. Aveanna Healthcare had a net margin of 11.44% and a return on equity of 70.01%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Aveanna Healthcare will post 0.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Aveanna Healthcare

In other Aveanna Healthcare news, Director Rodney D. Windley sold 180,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.50, for a total value of $2,070,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 2,078,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,897,195.50. This trade represents a 7.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Paul R. Vigano sold 14,500,002 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.50, for a total value of $166,750,023.00. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 48,566,081 shares of company stock worth $558,509,932 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 5.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aveanna Healthcare

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AVAH. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new position in shares of Aveanna Healthcare during the 3rd quarter worth about $59,731,000. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Aveanna Healthcare in the third quarter worth approximately $2,503,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund acquired a new stake in shares of Aveanna Healthcare in the third quarter worth approximately $3,046,000. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System increased its position in shares of Aveanna Healthcare by 56.7% during the third quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 124,644 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,547,000 after purchasing an additional 45,087 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bleakley Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Aveanna Healthcare during the third quarter worth approximately $241,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.96% of the company’s stock.

Latest Aveanna Healthcare News

These are some of the AVAH news items that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Aveanna raised its 2026 guidance; its revenue outlook is $2.7 billion, broadly in line with consensus. Investors may also see potential support from growth and operational efficiencies, as well as a planned California rate increase in 2027. Aveanna Healthcare: Revenue Growth, Guidance Raises, Yet Shares Still Trade At A Discount
• Neutral Sentiment: Aveanna identified hospice as a priority for mergers and acquisitions, which could offer a growth opportunity, though the article does not detail a specific deal or financial impact. Hospice an M&A Priority for Aveanna
• Negative Sentiment: Aveanna reported goodwill, intangible and other long-lived asset impairment for the quarter. Separately, an analysis notes that leverage and exposure to Medicaid remain investor concerns despite the company’s growth and valuation discount. Aveanna Reports Asset Impairment

About Aveanna Healthcare

Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. is a U.S. provider of home-based healthcare services for children and adults with complex medical needs. Its services include private-duty nursing and personal care, home health nursing and therapy, and hospice care, helping patients receive support in their homes and communities. The company also provides medical supplies and related services, including products used for enteral nutrition. Aveanna serves patients and families across multiple states through a network of clinicians, caregivers, and local operations.