Pete Smith Sells 14,264 Shares of Aviat Networks (NASDAQ:AVNW) Stock

Aviat Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVNW) CEO Pete Smith sold 14,264 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.69, for a total value of $280,858.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 367,840 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,242,769.60. The trade was a 3.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Aviat Networks Stock Up 3.2%

Shares of Aviat Networks stock opened at $19.25 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $20.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $21.19. Aviat Networks, Inc. has a 12-month low of $13.92 and a 12-month high of $27.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.97, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The company has a market cap of $246.40 million, a P/E ratio of 101.32 and a beta of 0.70.

Aviat Networks (NASDAQ:AVNW) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 27th. The communications equipment provider reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $120.89 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $110.12 million. Aviat Networks had a return on equity of 5.85% and a net margin of 0.58%. Research analysts anticipate that Aviat Networks, Inc. will post 2.24 EPS for the current year.

Aviat Networks News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Aviat Networks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and earnings beat estimates: Fiscal Q4 revenue rose 4.8% year over year to $120.9 million, well above the $110.1 million consensus estimate. Adjusted EPS of $0.64 also exceeded expectations of $0.55.
• Positive Sentiment: Backlog supports future growth: Backlog increased 14% to $367 million, providing visibility as Aviat expands private wireless networks and multi-dwelling-unit opportunities. Strong North American demand is helping offset timing-related weakness in international revenue. Aviat Networks private networks and margins
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst outlook remains favorable: Northland Securities reiterated an “Outperform” rating and a $30 price target. Although it lowered its FY2027 EPS forecast to $2.29 from $2.39, the target implies substantial upside from recent trading levels. Other analysts maintain Buy or Outperform ratings, with reported targets ranging from $25 to $36.
• Neutral Sentiment: Profitability remains a concern: Component-cost pressures contributed to lower non-GAAP earnings, while Aviat’s reported net margin was just 0.58%. The private-networks strategy could drive growth, but execution and margin improvement are important given the stock’s elevated valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling weighs on sentiment: CEO Pete Smith sold 14,264 shares for about $280,858, while VP Erin Boase and SVP Gary Croke also sold shares. No insider purchases were reported in the period, creating a potentially cautionary signal despite the executives retaining significant holdings. Aviat Networks insider sales

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aviat Networks

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AVNW. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Aviat Networks during the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of Aviat Networks in the third quarter worth $27,000. Potomac Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Aviat Networks during the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in Aviat Networks by 96.5% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,281 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 1,120 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp purchased a new position in shares of Aviat Networks in the first quarter valued at about $53,000. 78.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Zacks Research raised Aviat Networks from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Weiss Ratings raised Aviat Networks from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Aviat Networks in a report on Friday, August 28th. B. Riley Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $33.00 target price (up from $28.00) on shares of Aviat Networks in a research note on Friday, August 28th. Finally, Rafferty Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Aviat Networks in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $36.00 price target for the company. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $32.71.

Aviat Networks Company Profile

Aviat Networks, Inc is a specialist in wireless transport solutions, designing, manufacturing and selling microwave networking products that enable the secure and reliable transmission of data, voice and video. The company’s offerings address mission-critical communications needs for a broad range of end markets, including telecommunications service providers, utilities, government agencies and enterprises. Its product portfolio spans high-capacity packet microwave radios, IP transport systems and network management software.

Aviat’s core product lines include the WTM series of packet microwave platforms, which deliver scalable throughput and advanced resilience features, and the Eclipse packet microwave systems, which combine broadband capacity with synchronization, security and quality-of-service capabilities.