JPMorgan Chase & Co. Initiates Coverage on AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV)

Analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage set an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 price target on the aerospace company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 31.22% from the stock’s current price.

Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $486.00 to $429.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered their price objective on AeroVironment from $335.00 to $315.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $415.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, January 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $374.83.

AeroVironment Stock Up 3.7%

Shares of AeroVironment stock opened at $243.87 on Tuesday. AeroVironment has a 1-year low of $102.25 and a 1-year high of $417.86. The company has a market capitalization of $12.18 billion, a PE ratio of -195.10, a P/E/G ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 5.08 and a quick ratio of 4.29. The business has a 50-day moving average of $284.20 and a 200-day moving average of $293.78.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.43). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.08% and a positive return on equity of 3.42%. The business had revenue of $472.51 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $466.16 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.47 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 150.7% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that AeroVironment will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total value of $50,184.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total transaction of $367,232.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 17,301 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,359,847.60. This trade represents a 5.46% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 3,589 shares of company stock worth $1,157,685. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 550.7% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 178,204 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $56,115,000 after purchasing an additional 150,819 shares during the last quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the third quarter worth approximately $2,393,000. Rheos Capital Works Inc. acquired a new position in AeroVironment in the third quarter worth approximately $37,787,000. Congress Asset Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 1.4% in the third quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 346,999 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $109,267,000 after buying an additional 4,745 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Traynor Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at $1,121,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

About AeroVironment

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.