AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Posted by Stanley Muller on May 15th, 2026

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-four analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have assigned a hold recommendation, eighteen have given a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $318.7778.

AVAV has been the topic of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $330.00 to $295.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Citizens Jmp dropped their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on AeroVironment

AeroVironment Price Performance

AeroVironment stock opened at $165.27 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a current ratio of 5.51. The firm has a market cap of $8.25 billion, a P/E ratio of -38.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.35. The business’s fifty day moving average is $194.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $256.05. AeroVironment has a 52 week low of $156.00 and a 52 week high of $417.86.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.68 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $487.94 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.26%. AeroVironment’s revenue for the quarter was up 143.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.30 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that AeroVironment will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

Positive Sentiment: New articles highlight AeroVironment as a beneficiary of the Pentagon’s accelerated drone-warfare spending, with the company cited alongside other defense names leading a sector rally. Pentagon Drone Surge: AeroVironment (AVAV), Palantir (PLTR), and Kratos (KTOS) Lead Defense Stock Rally
Positive Sentiment: The CEO said the shift toward drone warfare is “our moment,” signaling management confidence that rising defense demand could support future growth. AeroVironment CEO says drone warfare shift is ‘our moment’ as defense demand builds
Positive Sentiment: Coverage on AeroVironment’s role in hypersonic and weapons-testing infrastructure suggests the company may benefit from broader defense-test spending, not just drones and munitions. The Hypersonic Test Bottleneck Is Real — And Five Companies Are Building the Infrastructure to Fix It
Neutral Sentiment: Recent conference and analyst-related articles keep AeroVironment in the spotlight, but they mainly reiterate the investment case rather than add a new catalyst. AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV) Presents at Bank of America 33rd Annual Industrials, Transportation and Airlines Key Leaders Conference Transcript
Neutral Sentiment: Other articles focus on long-term share performance, AI-enabled autonomy, and the Switchblade 400 prototype and PANTHER contract wins, which continue to support the stock’s defense-growth narrative. AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV) Secures Army Prototype Agreement For Switchblade 400
Neutral Sentiment: Another report on AVAV’s AI-enabled multi-domain autonomy highlights product development momentum, but it is more of a strategy update than a near-term earnings catalyst. How Is AeroVironment Advancing AI-Enabled Multi-Domain Autonomy?
Neutral Sentiment: A separate article on the PANTHER contract expanding AeroVironment’s role in U.S. weapons test infrastructure adds another positive strategic angle, though the market impact is likely incremental. AeroVironment PANTHER Contract Extends Role Into Weapons Test Infrastructure

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In related news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.55, for a total transaction of $88,921.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 16,026 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,598,638.30. The trade was a 2.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total transaction of $42,504.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,794 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,231,340.88. This trade represents a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 2,096 shares of company stock worth $505,103 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Compound Planning Inc. increased its stake in AeroVironment by 29.1% during the 1st quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 3,234 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $592,000 after purchasing an additional 728 shares in the last quarter. Keebeck Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the first quarter worth $246,000. Liberty One Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in AeroVironment by 40.6% in the 1st quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC now owns 4,325 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $792,000 after purchasing an additional 1,248 shares during the period. Gibbs Wealth Management lifted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 70.5% in the first quarter. Gibbs Wealth Management now owns 4,238 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $776,000 after purchasing an additional 1,753 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lido Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 47.8% during the first quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 1,228 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $225,000 after buying an additional 397 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

About AeroVironment

(Get Free Report)

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.