AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report)’s stock price rose 1.8% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $207.83 and last traded at $192.81. 1,536,728 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 6% from the average daily volume of 1,630,830 shares. The stock had previously closed at $189.43.
Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment
Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:
- Positive Sentiment: President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing tariffs of up to 100% on imported drones and critical components. The policy is intended to reduce dependence on foreign supply chains and could give U.S. manufacturers such as AeroVironment a competitive advantage, potentially increasing demand for domestic systems. Trump administration imposes sweeping tariffs on foreign drone imports
- Positive Sentiment: AVAV is participating in a wider rally among domestic drone and defense stocks, including Kratos, Red Cat and Ondas, as investors anticipate that tariff protection could shift business toward U.S.-based suppliers. AeroVironment, Ondas, and Kratos Rising as Trump Levies Tariffs on Drone Imports
- Positive Sentiment: Recent momentum has also been supported by strong defense demand, a reported $117.3 million Army contract and a new autonomous-systems partnership. These developments reinforce the view that AeroVironment could benefit from sustained military procurement. AVAV Outperforms Industry in the Past Month
- Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive, with Clear Street maintaining a Buy rating, but valuation models suggest the shares may be near fair value after substantial long-term gains. Investors may therefore require continued contract wins and execution to justify further appreciation. Clear Street Remains a Buy on AeroVironment
- Negative Sentiment: One updated valuation analysis lowered its implied fair value estimate from approximately $251.93 to $225.77 per share, citing execution risk, heavier investment needs and elevated valuation following sharply revised expectations. This could limit upside if tariff-related benefits take time to materialize. AeroVironment Stock Sees Fair Value Cut
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Wolfe Research cut shares of AeroVironment to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Wedbush began coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on AeroVironment from $305.00 to $229.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut AeroVironment from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $210.00 to $180.00 in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $266.68.
AeroVironment Stock Up 1.8%
The company has a current ratio of 4.30, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $162.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $195.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.76 billion, a PE ratio of -52.39, a PEG ratio of 6.59 and a beta of 1.41.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.37. The firm had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $555.97 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 133.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.61 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.26 earnings per share for the current year.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total value of $43,602.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Institutional Trading of AeroVironment
Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of AVAV. F m Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth $1,775,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $94,655,000. MYDA Advisors LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $3,628,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 289.9% during the 4th quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 222,055 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $53,714,000 after acquiring an additional 165,106 shares during the period. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 92.2% during the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 20,173 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $5,168,000 after acquiring an additional 9,675 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by 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.
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