AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Earns Neutral Rating from Analysts at UBS Group

UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) in a report issued on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage issued a neutral rating and a $259.00 target price on the aerospace company’s stock.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on AeroVironment from $486.00 to $429.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $390.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings downgraded AeroVironment from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group set a $400.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $367.00.

AeroVironment Trading Down 6.0%

Shares of AVAV opened at $264.63 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $285.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $293.49. 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 capitalization of $13.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -211.70, a P/E/G ratio of 4.25 and a beta of 1.23. AeroVironment has a 12-month low of $102.25 and a 12-month high of $417.86.

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). The firm had revenue of $472.51 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $466.16 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.42% and a negative net margin of 5.08%.AeroVironment’s revenue was up 150.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.47 EPS. 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 Transactions at AeroVironment

In other news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total value of $50,184.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer 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. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total value of $367,232.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 17,301 shares in the company, valued at $6,359,847.60. This represents a 5.46% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 4,339 shares of company stock valued at $1,353,910 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bull case: a Seeking Alpha deep dive highlights the BlueHalo acquisition, the firm’s LOCUST directed‑energy progress, a $1.1B funded / $3B unfunded backlog and ~93% 2026 revenue visibility — analysts there model a fair value near $290, supporting upside vs. recent prices. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum note: The Motley Fool reports AVAV “climbed 15%” recently, citing an unexpected catalyst and increased Wall Street attention — this type of momentum can attract short‑term buyers. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: New coverage: UBS initiated coverage with a “neutral” rating and a $259 price target (slightly below recent levels) — this provides more liquidity in analyst views but is unlikely to spark a major re‑rating on its own. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor access: AV’s CFO will appear at the Citizens Technology Conference (fireside chat March 2, to be webcast) — useful for incremental transparency but not an immediate earnings catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate: a Yahoo piece questions whether the recent ~33% pullback already prices in risk and examines DCF upside potential — highlights disagreement among investors on fair value, which can sustain volatility. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Critical take: a Seeking Alpha column titled “Shockingly Uninteresting” raises skeptical points on growth durability and excitement, which can reinforce selling pressure among more value‑oriented investors. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Noisy short‑interest reports: multiple feeds flagged a “large increase” in February short interest, but the published figures appear inconsistent/erroneous (zeros/NaN). Even so, headlines about rising shorts can trigger fear/stop‑loss selling and add to intraday downside.

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.