AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Short Interest Update

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) was the target of a large growth in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 848,900 shares, a growth of 14.0% from the March 31st total of 744,900 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 357,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.4 days.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AVAV traded up $2.74 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $162.53. The stock had a trading volume of 443,902 shares, compared to its average volume of 330,702. AeroVironment has a 12-month low of $88.24 and a 12-month high of $184.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -37.16 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a quick ratio of 3.16, a current ratio of 4.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $148.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $132.98.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 4th. The aerospace company reported $0.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.30. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 13.93% and a negative net margin of 15.14%. The firm had revenue of $186.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $170.62 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.33 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 38.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that AeroVironment will post 2.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on AVAV. Robert W. Baird reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $161.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Friday, March 8th. William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, March 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on AeroVironment from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 5th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $140.20.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other news, SVP Melissa Ann Brown sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $176.77, for a total transaction of $176,770.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 12,339 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,181,165.03. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, SVP Melissa Ann Brown sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $176.77, for a total transaction of $176,770.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 12,339 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,181,165.03. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Trace E. Stevenson sold 1,913 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.00, for a total value of $350,079.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 2,570 shares in the company, valued at approximately $470,310. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bfsg LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. acquired a new position in AeroVironment in the 1st quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new position in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About AeroVironment

AeroVironment, Inc designs, develops, produces, delivers, and supports a portfolio of robotic systems and related services for government agencies and businesses in the United States and internationally. It operates through Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS), Tactical Missile System (TMS), Medium Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MUAS), and High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite Systems (HAPS) segments.