AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Price Down 1.1% – Here’s Why

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) traded down 1.1% on Monday . The stock traded as low as $216.56 and last traded at $227.29. 2,075,814 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 9% from the average session volume of 1,903,629 shares. The stock had previously closed at $229.80.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of AeroVironment from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $390.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Zacks Research cut AeroVironment from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Citizens Jmp reissued a “market outperform” rating and issued a $400.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $348.33.

AeroVironment Stock Down 1.1%

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’s fifty day moving average price is $284.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $293.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.35 billion, a PE ratio of -181.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.64 and a beta of 1.26.

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). The firm had revenue of $472.51 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.16 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.42% and a negative net margin of 5.08%.The business’s revenue was up 150.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.47 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total value of $50,184.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. The trade was a 3.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total value of $377,620.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 51,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,258,997.62. The trade was a 1.92% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,589 shares of company stock worth $1,428,910. 0.81% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% in the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in AeroVironment during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the third quarter worth $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.