AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-four ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have issued a hold recommendation, eighteen have assigned a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $318.7778.

AVAV has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC dropped their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $389.00 to $315.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of AeroVironment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday. Zacks Research raised shares of AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.55, for a total value of $88,921.80. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 16,026 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,598,638.30. This represents a 2.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total value of $42,504.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,794 shares in the company, valued at $1,231,340.88. The trade was a 3.34% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 1,346 shares of company stock valued at $274,456 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 100.0% during the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the third quarter worth $25,000. Smithfield Trust Co purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the third quarter worth $31,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the third quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Huntington National Bank boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 72.1% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 105 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Stock Down 9.0%

NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $185.92 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $9.28 billion, a PE ratio of -42.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.35. AeroVironment has a twelve month low of $156.00 and a twelve month high of $417.86. The company has a current ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company’s 50 day moving average is $184.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is $238.46.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.68 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $487.94 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.26% and a negative net margin of 13.93%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.30 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. Analysts anticipate that AeroVironment will post 2.94 EPS for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms announced or reiterated securities class-action claims against AeroVironment, saying investors who bought shares between June 25, 2025 and March 10, 2026 may pursue recovery, with a lead-plaintiff deadline of July 27, 2026. Article: AVAV Investors Have Opportunity to Lead AeroVironment, Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit with the Schall Law Firm
• Negative Sentiment: The complaints allege AeroVironment and certain executives made false or misleading statements, including claims tied to the company’s $1.7 billion SCAR contract, which raises uncertainty and potential legal costs. Article: SueWallSt Reminds Shareholders of a Lead Plaintiff Deadline of July 27, 2026 in AeroVironment, Inc. Lawsuit – AVAV
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional firms, including Faruqi & Faruqi, Rosen, Pomerantz, Robbins Geller, Berger Montague, and others, issued investor alerts about the same lawsuit, extending the news flow but adding little new business information. Article: AVAV INVESTOR ACTION: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Reminds AeroVironment (AVAV) Investors of Securities Class Action Deadline on July 27, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: A market note also said AeroVironment and peer Kratos Defense were trading lower, likely reflecting broader weakness in defense-drone names alongside the lawsuit headlines. Article: AeroVironment and Kratos stocks trade down, what you need to know

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.