AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Price Up 3% – Time to Buy?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) was up 3% on Monday . The company traded as high as $198.60 and last traded at $197.23. Approximately 1,001,197 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 42% from the average daily volume of 1,732,660 shares. The stock had previously closed at $191.42.

Trending Headlines about AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Successful demonstration of the palletized LOCUST laser weapon system aboard the USS George H.W. Bush — confirms directed‑energy, shipboard capability and boosts AVAV’s addressable market for counter‑drone solutions. AV Successfully Demonstrates LOCUST Laser Weapon System Aboard USS George H.W. Bush
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction and coverage highlight the demo as a catalyst — headlines show the stock “rocketed” after the laser neutralizer news, signaling strong investor enthusiasm for AVAV’s counter‑drone tech. AVAV stock rockets after successful laser weapon demonstration
• Positive Sentiment: New/near‑term U.S. Army business: AVAV won a production contract for the VAPOR CLE (reported ~$14.6M) and another recent Army production award, supporting revenue and backlog visibility. AeroVironment’s New Army Drone Deal And Leadership Shift Reshape Growth Story
• Positive Sentiment: Product and capability expansion — company introduced the MAYHEM 10 modular effects platform and is broadening into space, electronic warfare and secure comms, which could lift future margins and contract size. AeroVironment’s New Army Drone Deal And Leadership Shift Reshape Growth Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership moves — appointment of Robert Smith (ex‑Raytheon) as COO and a new incoming CFO signal operational and financial ramping; positive for execution but execution risk remains. AeroVironment’s New Army Drone Deal And Leadership Shift Reshape Growth Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and performance note — recent pieces walk through whether current levels already price in growth; long‑term returns have been strong but YTD weakness increases sensitivity to execution. Is It Too Late To Consider AeroVironment (AVAV) After Strong Multi‑Year Share Gains?
• Neutral Sentiment: Minor insider sale: a director sold 250 shares under a pre‑arranged 10b5‑1 plan — small relative to holdings and disclosed, so not an unusual signal. SEC Form 4 — Stephen F. Page
• Negative Sentiment: Rising short interest — increased short positions could amplify downside pressure and volatility if sentiment or macro factors turn negative. AeroVironment, Inc. Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Analyst Ratings Changes

AVAV has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. KeyCorp decreased their target price on AeroVironment from $330.00 to $295.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price objective on AeroVironment from $259.00 to $236.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. 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 given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $318.78.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $10.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -48.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a current ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $215.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $277.40.

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

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the firm’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 directly owned 16,026 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,598,638.30. This trade represents a 2.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.29, for a total transaction of $49,322.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 49,501 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,766,052.29. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,975 shares of company stock valued at $740,324. 0.81% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 60.0% during the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new position in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its position in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.