AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Price Down 2.8% – Here’s Why
by Michael Walen · The Markets DailyShares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) were down 2.8% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $195.32 and last traded at $196.28. Approximately 852,195 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 50% from the average daily volume of 1,716,482 shares. The stock had previously closed at $201.91.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of research analysts have issued reports on AVAV shares. Wall Street Zen lowered AeroVironment from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $260.00 to $235.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $330.00 to $295.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised AeroVironment from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $318.78.
View Our Latest Report on AVAV
AeroVironment Stock Down 2.8%
The business has a 50-day moving average price of $214.32 and a 200-day moving average price of $276.41. The company has a market capitalization of $9.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -45.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.66 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a quick ratio of 4.54, a current ratio of 5.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) last announced its 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 analyst estimates of $487.94 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.26% and a negative net margin of 13.93%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.30 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Activity
In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 879 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $267.60, for a total transaction of $235,220.40. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 16,422 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,394,527.20. The trade was a 5.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 500 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $254.95, for a total value of $127,475.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 50,501 shares in the company, valued at $12,875,229.95. This represents a 0.98% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,975 shares of company stock worth $740,324. 0.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AVAV. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the first quarter valued at $225,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. purchased a new position in AeroVironment in the second quarter valued at about $285,000. American Century Companies Inc. purchased a new position in AeroVironment in the second quarter valued at about $633,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in AeroVironment by 5,200.0% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 159 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in AeroVironment by 0.4% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 24,188 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $6,892,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.