AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading 2.3% Higher – Time to Buy?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) was up 2.3% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $216.00 and last traded at $211.88. Approximately 1,478,568 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 26% from the average daily volume of 1,988,023 shares. The stock had previously closed at $207.07.

Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment agreed to acquire Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $200 million — a move that adds UAS and advanced air mobility engineering, electric/hybrid propulsion know-how, AS9100 manufacturing and rapid prototyping capabilities that can accelerate product development and scale. Drone-maker AeroVironment buys aerospace engineering firm ESAero in $200 million deal
• Positive Sentiment: Broad media exposure for AV’s LOCUST laser defense system (CBS 60 Minutes coverage) likely lifted sentiment and visibility; reports also note Q3 backlog growth (around +47% YoY), suggesting stronger near-term order momentum. AeroVironment (AVAV) Stock Gains Ground Following 60 Minutes Laser Defense Showcase
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media writeups (Seeking Alpha, Motley Fool) continue to position AVAV as a longer-term defense/air-mobility growth story — useful for sentiment but less immediately catalytic than hard order wins or financial beats. AeroVironment Mobilizes For High-Volume Deployment
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG trimmed its price target to $330 from $415 while keeping a Buy rating after Q3 results missed revenue and EPS expectations — this reduces upside in some analysts’ models and can cap short-term gains. BTIG Cuts AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV)’s Price Target To $330, Maintains Buy Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Following the analyst action, some outlets reported a small selloff/price weakness tied to the downgrade — a reminder that execution against guidance, margins and any acquisition dilution will be watched closely. AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Down 2.3% After Analyst Downgrade

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on AVAV shares. Citizens Jmp decreased their price target on AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Needham & Company LLC dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $325.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Piper Sandler cut 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. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $486.00 to $429.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average 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 quick ratio of 4.54 and a current ratio of 5.51. The company has a market capitalization of $10.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -48.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $281.00 and a 200-day moving average price of $292.52.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 business earned $0.30 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total value of $377,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 51,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,258,997.62. The trade was a 1.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The shares were 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 owned 17,301 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,359,847.60. This represents a 5.46% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 4,474 shares of company stock valued at $1,390,404 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% in the 3rd quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 7.8% during the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 498 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $157,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the period. Legacy Bridge LLC lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 4,046 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $979,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 3,709 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $897,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $261,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

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.