AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Price Up 16.1% – Should You Buy?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s stock price traded up 16.1% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $302.49 and last traded at $297.41. 2,340,521 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 43% from the average session volume of 1,639,548 shares. The stock had previously closed at $256.19.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on AVAV shares. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. New Street Research set a $365.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $295.00 to $389.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 price target for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $375.41.

AeroVironment Price Performance

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 company has a 50-day simple moving average of $283.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $283.61. The company has a market cap of $15.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -254.78, a PEG ratio of 4.39 and a beta of 1.16.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted 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). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.08% and a positive return on equity of 3.42%. The business had revenue of $472.51 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.16 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.47 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 150.7% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total value of $50,184.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 998 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $399.74, for a total transaction of $398,940.52. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 19,324 shares in the company, valued at $7,724,575.76. The trade was a 4.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 2,222 shares of company stock valued at $746,592 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Parisi Gray Wealth Management boosted its position in AeroVironment by 31.8% during the fourth quarter. Parisi Gray Wealth Management now owns 1,086 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $263,000 after purchasing an additional 262 shares in the last quarter. Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at $288,000. Miller Global Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 4th quarter worth $270,000. PVG Asset Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth about $332,000. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter valued at about $629,000. 86.38% of the stock is 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.