Wall Street Zen Downgrades AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) to Sell
by Renee Jackson · The Cerbat GemAeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report issued on Saturday.
A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on AVAV. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on AeroVironment from $486.00 to $429.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Citizens Jmp decreased their price target on AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $318.78.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on AVAV
AeroVironment Price Performance
Shares of NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $184.36 on Friday. AeroVironment has a one year low of $102.25 and a one year high of $417.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -42.48, a PEG ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $236.18 and a 200-day simple moving average of $287.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a current ratio of 5.51.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 business’s quarterly revenue was up 143.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.30 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. On average, analysts predict that AeroVironment will post 3.38 EPS for the current year.
Insider Activity
In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total value of $53,130.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 49,751 shares in the company, valued at $10,573,082.52. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.55, for a total value of $88,921.80. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 16,026 shares in the company, valued at $3,598,638.30. This represents a 2.41% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 4,724 shares of company stock valued at $1,435,854 in the last three months. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% in the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its stake in AeroVironment by 7.8% in the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 498 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $157,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC raised its stake in AeroVironment by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 4,046 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $979,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 3,709 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $897,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $261,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. 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.