AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Research Coverage Started at KeyCorp

KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage issued an overweight rating and a $285.00 target price on the aerospace company’s stock.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on AVAV. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, September 18th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $300.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, December 15th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $390.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded shares of AeroVironment to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $375.41.

AeroVironment Trading Up 5.3%

Shares of AeroVironment stock opened at $243.01 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $311.34 and its 200 day moving average is $276.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.13 billion, a PE ratio of -194.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 1.13. AeroVironment has a 1 year low of $102.25 and a 1 year high of $417.86. The company has a current ratio of 5.08, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.43). The company had revenue of $472.51 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.16 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.08% and a positive return on equity of 3.42%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 150.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.47 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that AeroVironment will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In related news, insider Trace E. Stevenson sold 1,717 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, October 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $381.00, for a total transaction of $654,177.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 4,907 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,869,567. This represents a 25.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 998 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $399.74, for a total value of $398,940.52. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 19,324 shares in the company, valued at $7,724,575.76. The trade was a 4.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 3,739 shares of company stock worth $1,350,585. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings 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 valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. ORG Partners LLC increased its stake in AeroVironment by 296.0% in the 2nd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 99 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. RMG Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its position 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 buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.