AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Down 9.8% – Here’s What Happened
by Michael Walen · The Markets DailyAeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) shares fell 9.8% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $246.02 and last traded at $257.30. 1,805,924 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 1% from the average session volume of 1,796,380 shares. The stock had previously closed at $285.41.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several brokerages recently commented on AVAV. 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 report on Friday, December 12th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $400.00 price objective on AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $390.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 price target for the company. Finally, Citizens Jmp restated a “market outperform” rating and set a $400.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $378.06.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on AeroVironment
AeroVironment Trading Down 9.8%
The stock has a market capitalization of $12.85 billion, a PE ratio of -205.84, a PEG ratio of 3.99 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a current ratio of 5.08, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The business’s 50-day moving average is $288.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $294.98.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.43). AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.42% and a negative net margin of 5.08%.The company had revenue of $472.51 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.16 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.47 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 150.7% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. On average, analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the company’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 transaction, the director owned 51,001 shares in the company, valued at $19,258,997.62. This represents a 1.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total transaction of $50,184.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at $1,504,014.48. This represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 3,223 shares of company stock worth $1,092,503 in the last 90 days. 0.81% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment
A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the first quarter valued at about $225,000. Truist Financial Corp boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 22.1% in the second quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 5,610 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,599,000 after purchasing an additional 1,014 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 14.0% in the second quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 5,151 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,468,000 after purchasing an additional 632 shares during the last quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $554,000. Finally, RMG Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.
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.