AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Down 1.1% – Time to Sell?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) fell 1.1% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $216.56 and last traded at $227.29. 2,075,814 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 9% from the average session volume of 1,903,629 shares. The stock had previously closed at $229.80.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AVAV has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 target price for the company. Zacks Research lowered shares of AeroVironment from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of AeroVironment from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $486.00 to $429.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $348.33.

AeroVironment Stock Down 1.1%

The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $284.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $293.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a current ratio of 5.08. The firm has a market cap of $11.35 billion, a PE ratio of -181.83, a P/E/G ratio of 3.64 and a beta of 1.26.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.43). The company had revenue of $472.51 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.16 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.42% and a negative net margin of 5.08%.AeroVironment’s revenue was up 150.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.47 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total value of $377,620.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 51,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,258,997.62. The trade was a 1.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total transaction of $50,184.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 4,589 shares of company stock valued at $1,428,910 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 31.2% during the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 5,091 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,235,000 after purchasing an additional 1,210 shares during the last quarter. Mengis Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in AeroVironment by 61.2% in the 4th quarter. Mengis Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,501 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $363,000 after buying an additional 570 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter worth $195,000. MidFirst Bank acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth $40,000. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 45.5% in the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 6,084 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,472,000 after acquiring an additional 1,902 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.