AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, MarketBeat reports. The firm issued an overweight rating and a $320.00 price objective on the aerospace company’s stock.

A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on AVAV. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Friday, January 30th. KeyCorp upped their price target on AeroVironment from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Citizens Jmp restated a “market outperform” rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $373.35.

AeroVironment Price Performance

NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $262.99 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 4.29, a current ratio of 5.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm has a market cap of $13.13 billion, a PE ratio of -210.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.61 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’s 50-day moving average price is $283.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $293.80.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 quarterly revenue was up 150.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.47 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that AeroVironment will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total transaction of $367,232.40. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 17,301 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,359,847.60. This trade represents a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total transaction of $50,184.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 4,089 shares of company stock worth $1,285,160. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AVAV. Groupama Asset Managment acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the third quarter worth about $314,890,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in AeroVironment by 14.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,478,114 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $991,089,000 after purchasing an additional 433,830 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter worth approximately $94,655,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 24,798.7% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 315,716 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $99,416,000 after buying an additional 314,448 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 75.6% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 609,019 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $173,540,000 after buying an additional 262,239 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan initiated coverage with an Overweight rating and a $320 price target (roughly +21.7% vs. recent levels), providing a high‑profile analyst endorsement that can attract buyers and momentum flows. AeroVironment Stock Soars As JPMorgan Sets $320 Target
• Positive Sentiment: Sector narrative: coverage and commentary highlight that small drones are a durable part of U.S. and allied military strategy, supporting sustained demand for AVAV’s products and reinforcing the bullish analyst case. Why AeroVironment Stock Climbed Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation comparison pieces (e.g., CAE vs. AVAV) are circulating; these provide context for longer‑term investors but are less likely to move intraday trading than the JPMorgan initiation. CAE or AVAV: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short‑interest data in recent filings appears to show 0 shares / NaN changes — likely a reporting anomaly and not meaningful market pressure right now. (No actionable signal from short‑interest figures.)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: Director Stephen F. Page sold 500 shares at ~$254.95 (small relative to his ~50k share holding). While insider selling can be perceived negatively, this transaction is modest and not an obvious red flag for fundamentals. SEC Form 4

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.