AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Given Market Outperform Rating at Citizens Jmp

Citizens Jmp reiterated their market outperform rating on shares of AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. Citizens Jmp currently has a $400.00 price target on the aerospace company’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. KeyCorp raised their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, January 12th. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 price objective for the company. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $378.06.

AeroVironment Trading Down 3.4%

Shares of AVAV opened at $235.12 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $285.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $293.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.74 billion, a PE ratio of -188.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.60 and a beta of 1.23. AeroVironment has a 12-month low of $102.25 and a 12-month high of $417.86. The company has a quick ratio of 4.29, a current ratio of 5.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 879 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $267.60, for a total transaction of $235,220.40. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 16,422 shares in the company, valued at $4,394,527.20. This trade represents a 5.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total transaction of $377,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 51,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,258,997.62. The trade was a 1.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 3,589 shares of company stock worth $1,157,685 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AVAV. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% during the 3rd quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its position in AeroVironment by 100.0% in the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: U.S. Army deployed AeroVironment’s LOCUST counter‑drone laser near El Paso, demonstrating field use of AVAV’s high‑value defense capability (the event led to a multi‑hour airspace halt, highlighting operational impact and potential follow‑on demand). Reuters: LOCUST deployed
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a market‑outperform view and set a $400 price target, implying material upside versus recent levels — a signal that some sell‑side firms remain confident in AVAV’s growth trajectory. TickerReport: Analyst note
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate/government affairs hire: AVAV named Stephen Voline as Senior Director, Washington Operations to strengthen DoD and congressional engagement — may help with program capture and procurement navigation. BusinessWire: New Washington hire
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest postings show “0” shorted shares in recent reports — the data looks like a reporting anomaly and is not meaningful evidence of a change in short‑seller positioning.
• Neutral Sentiment: Media pieces are framing AVAV as “repositioning” into larger defense programs (citing the hire and reported USAF activity) — strategic narrative positive if converted to wins, but impact is speculative until contracts are disclosed. Yahoo Finance: Repositioning story
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CFO Kevin P. McDonnell sold 879 shares (~5% reduction of his disclosed holding) at about $267.60 per share — an insider sale that can weigh on sentiment even if size is modest versus total holdings. SEC Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Technical/market commentary highlights recent underperformance and heightened volatility — analysts and market pieces note the stock has pulled back from its highs, which can amplify selling pressure and short‑term downside. Zacks: AVAV falls more steeply

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.