AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-three brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has assigned a hold recommendation, eighteen have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $318.7778.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on AVAV shares. Citizens Jmp cut their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. BTIG Research dropped their target price on AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on AeroVironment from $486.00 to $429.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price target on AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd.

AeroVironment Trading Down 3.0%

AeroVironment stock opened at $215.85 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $10.78 billion, a PE ratio of -49.73, a P/E/G ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 1.26. AeroVironment has a 12 month low of $102.25 and a 12 month high of $417.86. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $275.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $291.59. The company has a current ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.68 by ($0.04). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.26%. The firm had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.30 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. Analysts anticipate that AeroVironment will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total value of $42,504.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,231,340.88. This trade represents a 3.34% decrease in their position. The transaction 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 999 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total transaction of $367,232.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 17,301 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,359,847.60. The trade was a 5.46% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 4,924 shares of company stock valued at $1,486,038 in the last three months. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Groupama Asset Managment acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth about $314,890,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 14.3% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,478,114 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $991,089,000 after buying an additional 433,830 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $94,655,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 24,798.7% in 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 last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in AeroVironment by 75.6% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 609,019 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $173,540,000 after buying an additional 262,239 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Acquisition: AVAV closed a ~ $200M deal for Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero), expanding UAS/AAM engineering, AS9100 manufacturing and hybrid/electric propulsion capabilities — bolsters long‑term defense and product roadmap. AeroVironment Acquires ESAero
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly results showed strong top‑line growth ($408M, +143% YoY driven by BlueHalo) but AVAV missed consensus revenue and EPS; management set FY26 EPS guidance of $2.75–3.10 (below street consensus), creating mixed near‑term expectations. FQ3 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor engagement: AVAV presented at the JPMorgan Industrials Conference (transcript available) — useful for detail and tone but not an immediate catalyst by itself. JPMorgan Presentation Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider moves: CAO Brian Shackley and director Stephen Page disclosed small share sales (200 and 250 shares); holdings remain substantial — routine but sometimes watched by investors. Insider Sales
• Negative Sentiment: Litigation/investigation risk: Pomerantz LLP has launched an investor investigation and other firms (Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman) are soliciting inquiries — increases headline and legal risk, which often pressures shares. Pomerantz Investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst / sentiment pressure: BTIG trimmed its price target (from $415 to $330) and some media pieces highlight risks in AVAV’s profile — analyst cuts and negative commentary can weigh on sentiment despite strategic positives. BTIG Price Target Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Critical coverage: Articles calling out risks (operational or valuation) add downward pressure and may amplify selling in the short term. Critical Coverage

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.