AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Up 14.1% – Time to Buy?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) shares traded up 14.1% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $198.96 and last traded at $196.7750. Approximately 977,668 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 41% from the average daily volume of 1,646,891 shares. The stock had previously closed at $172.44.

AeroVironment News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment won a $500 million U.S. Army / Department of Defense contract for counter-drone systems, which traders see as a major validation of its anti-drone technology and a meaningful revenue opportunity. Why Is AeroVironment (AVAV) Stock Rocketing Higher Today
• Positive Sentiment: The company also recently posted blockbuster fiscal Q4 results, which reinforced the bullish view that demand for its drones and counter-drone systems is accelerating. AVAV Stock Skyrockets as AeroVironment Reports Blockbuster Q4 Earnings Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators are highlighting the company’s geopolitical tailwind from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and rising military demand for anti-drone tools, which supports the stock’s longer-term growth story. A Longlasting Russia-Ukraine War Creates a Catalyst to Buy AeroVironment Stock Now
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage sentiment has also improved, with Wedbush upgrading AVAV and Piper Sandler reiterating an overweight rating with a higher target, suggesting Wall Street sees more upside after the contract win. Wedbush upgrade news
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also unusual call-option buying in AVAV, which signals heightened trader interest but does not by itself change fundamentals. Traders Purchase Large Volume of AeroVironment Call Options (NASDAQ:AVAV)
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms announced securities-fraud class action deadlines tied to prior disclosures, adding legal noise and a potential liability overhang for investors. AVAV FINAL DEADLINE: ROSEN… Securities Class Action

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AVAV has been the topic of several recent research reports. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $205.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday. Wedbush initiated coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. Citizens Jmp restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $350.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $248.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Clear Str raised AeroVironment to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $277.37.

AeroVironment Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $9.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -51.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 4.30 and a quick ratio of 4.54. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $174.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $223.52.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.37. The business had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $555.97 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The company’s revenue was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.61 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total transaction of $43,602.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 750 shares of company stock worth $133,502. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. Sunbelt Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Company Profile

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.