AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Down 4.7% – Time to Sell?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) was down 4.7% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $142.02 and last traded at $142.20. 1,253,359 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 26% from the average daily volume of 1,685,259 shares. The stock had previously closed at $149.29.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James upgraded AeroVironment to Outperform and set a $210 price target, saying the company’s improving bookings and recovering backlog support a better growth outlook. The firm also highlighted potential upside tied to a large Army contract opportunity, which helped boost sentiment around the stock. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Separate coverage echoed that the upgrade improved the risk/reward profile after the stock’s sharp year-to-date decline, and one report noted AeroVironment shares were lifted on news of progress tied to an Army laser weapon program. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles reiterate that AeroVironment is facing a July 27 lead-plaintiff deadline in a securities class action alleging investor harm. These notices may keep the stock under pressure because they remind investors of legal overhang, but they are largely procedural updates rather than new case developments. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The broad cluster of class-action announcements from multiple firms reinforces concerns about alleged securities fraud, which can weigh on investor confidence and create an additional overhang for AVAV shares. Article Title

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on AVAV. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $280.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded AeroVironment from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and cut their price target for the company from $210.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. KeyCorp decreased their price objective on AeroVironment from $295.00 to $220.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 26th. Wolfe Research downgraded AeroVironment to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $205.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $266.68.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

The company’s 50 day moving average price is $168.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $217.35. The stock has a market cap of $7.20 billion, a P/E ratio of -38.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a current ratio of 4.30.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its quarterly earnings results 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. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The company had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $555.97 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.61 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total transaction of $43,602.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 49,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,546,264.41. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the third quarter worth $29,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new position in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. National Bank of Canada FI grew its stake in AeroVironment by 230.3% in the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 109 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. Finally, Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. increased its position in shares of AeroVironment by 90.0% during the 4th quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 133 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.