AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Research Coverage Started at Barclays

Barclays initiated coverage on shares of AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm issued an equal weight rating and a $237.00 price objective on the aerospace company’s stock.

AVAV has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on AeroVironment from $229.00 to $204.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Rothschild & Co Redburn began coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $165.00 price target for the company. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $248.00 to $235.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Citizens Jmp reiterated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $230.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Wolfe Research downgraded shares of AeroVironment to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AeroVironment has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $228.80.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of AVAV stock opened at $137.11 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.97 billion, a PE ratio of -58.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.36. AeroVironment has a 52-week low of $134.25 and a 52-week high of $411.16. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $156.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $167.63. The company has a quick ratio of 3.33, a current ratio of 4.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 4.04% and a negative net margin of 5.77%. The firm had revenue of $480.49 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.95 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.32 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that AeroVironment will post 3.25 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Brian Shackley sold 205 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total transaction of $41,381.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,592,271.68. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $152.27, for a total value of $38,067.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 48,253 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,347,484.31. This trade represents a 0.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 805 shares of company stock worth $142,671 in the last ninety days. 0.79% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AVAV. Sunbelt Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. purchased a new position in AeroVironment in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. MidFirst Bank purchased a new position in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Toth Financial Advisory Corp acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the second quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Western Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the first quarter worth $37,000. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays initiated coverage with an “equal weight” rating and a $237 price target, implying considerable upside from recent levels. The neutral rating suggests Barclays sees meaningful potential but also material risks. Barclays coverage report
• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment’s VideoRay subsidiary was selected for a U.S. Navy mine-countermeasure prototype program. The award expands the company’s presence in naval defense and could support future production opportunities. AeroVironment’s VideoRay selected for US Navy mine countermeasure prototype program
• Positive Sentiment: The company received a $464.8 million U.S. Army production contract for its Enduring High Energy Laser program. This is AeroVironment’s first major U.S. military laser production award and broadens its revenue base beyond unmanned aircraft. AeroVironment Lands $464.8 Million Directed Energy Contract
• Positive Sentiment: LOCUST laser growth prospects improved after AeroVironment secured its first international order, valued at more than $50 million. The deal demonstrates potential demand outside the U.S. defense market. Can LOCUST Lasers Power the Next Leg of AeroVironment Growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports describe record revenue and backlog as autonomous systems gain momentum, but investors remain focused on whether AeroVironment can scale those programs profitably. Can AeroVironment Scale Autonomous Systems to Drive Growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: A reported short-interest figure of zero shares and a zero-day days-to-cover ratio appears inconsistent with the description of a large increase, limiting its usefulness as a trading signal.
• Negative Sentiment: AVAV declined alongside the broader equity market as higher Treasury yields and rising oil prices increased risk aversion ahead of Federal Reserve meeting minutes. Its steep 12-month decline has also revived debate over valuation and future cash generation. AeroVironment Pullback Following Market Selloff Puts Valuation Debate Back In Focus

AeroVironment Company Profile

AeroVironment, Inc is a defense technology company that develops and supplies autonomous systems, uncrewed aircraft, loitering munitions and counter-uncrewed-aircraft systems. Its portfolio includes small unmanned aircraft systems such as Raven, Puma and Wasp, as well as larger platforms including JUMP 20 and Quantix Recon.

The company is also known for its Switchblade family of loitering munitions, which combine surveillance, target identification and precision strike capabilities. AeroVironment provides related ground control systems, sensors, software, communications equipment, training and support services for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Founded in 1971 by aerospace engineer Paul B.