AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Sets New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s share price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $158.80 and last traded at $161.5010, with a volume of 190786 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $168.29.

Key Stories Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment won a three-year, $43 million Department of War contract to integrate its PANTHER phased-array antenna system on SkyRange platforms, a win that strengthens its defense backlog and highlights demand for its hypersonic telemetry technology. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts noted that AVAV remains well below its recent highs and that the stock has been sliding for months, but the company still has a large backlog and bookings that could support longer-term fundamentals. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Technical coverage warned that AeroVironment could extend its move toward 52-week lows, reinforcing bearish sentiment as the shares remain under heavy pressure and far below their recent trading range. Article Title

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $259.00 to $236.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Citizens Jmp lowered their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. Raymond James Financial raised shares of AeroVironment from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of AeroVironment from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, AeroVironment presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $318.78.

AeroVironment Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 5.51 and a quick ratio of 4.54. The company’s 50 day moving average is $196.77 and its 200 day moving average is $258.98. The stock has a market cap of $8.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -38.91, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.35.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 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 company had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.30 EPS. The firm’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. Research analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total transaction of $42,504.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,794 shares in the company, valued at $1,231,340.88. The trade was a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.55, for a total transaction of $88,921.80. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 16,026 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,598,638.30. This trade represents a 2.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 2,096 shares of company stock worth $505,103. 0.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the first quarter valued at approximately $225,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the second quarter worth $285,000. American Century Companies Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the second quarter worth $633,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 5,200.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 159 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 0.4% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 24,188 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $6,892,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently 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.