Aurora Innovation (NASDAQ:AUR) Earns Buy Rating from Needham & Company LLC

Aurora Innovation (NASDAQ:AUR)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by investment analysts at Needham & Company LLC in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $13.00 price target on the stock. Needham & Company LLC’s target price points to a potential upside of 190.18% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on AUR. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Aurora Innovation in a report on Thursday, October 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Aurora Innovation from $6.00 to $4.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $15.00 price target on shares of Aurora Innovation in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Aurora Innovation in a report on Monday. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $15.00 price objective on shares of Aurora Innovation in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $9.96.

Aurora Innovation Stock Up 6.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:AUR opened at $4.48 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $8.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.96 and a beta of 2.47. Aurora Innovation has a 12 month low of $3.60 and a 12 month high of $10.77. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $4.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $4.95.

Aurora Innovation (NASDAQ:AUR) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported ($0.12) earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.12). The company had revenue of $1.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.47 million. Research analysts expect that Aurora Innovation will post -0.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Aurora Innovation

In other news, CEO Christopher Urmson bought 258,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $3.88 per share, with a total value of $1,001,040.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 258,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,001,040. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 11.85% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Aurora Innovation

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in Aurora Innovation in the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new position in Aurora Innovation during the fourth quarter worth approximately $39,000. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC MO bought a new stake in Aurora Innovation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Simplify Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Aurora Innovation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Finally, N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Aurora Innovation in the third quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 44.71% of the company’s stock.

Aurora Innovation News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Aurora Innovation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Aurora completed a 1,000‑mile driverless run from Fort Worth to Phoenix, showcasing long‑haul capability that supports commercialization prospects and partner confidence. Aurora Adds 1,000-Mile Driverless Run from Fort Worth to Phoenix
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Needham reaffirmed a “buy” and a $13 price target, signaling conviction in Aurora’s longer‑term upside and technology moat. Needham Reaffirms Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Industry analysis suggests competitive barriers are eroding in a way that can favor well‑capitalized early movers like Aurora, potentially improving TAM capture over time. Aurora Innovation: Barriers To Entry Are Fading
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 2025 earnings call transcript is available for investors who want detail on cadence to revenue and commercialization milestones; use it to judge execution versus guidance. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage includes a valuation review as share swings have drawn attention; useful for investors reassessing risk/reward but not a direct catalyst. Assessing Aurora Innovation Valuation
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest reports in the feed show zero and NaN values and are internally inconsistent; treat current short‑interest data as unreliable until exchanges publish corrected figures.
• Negative Sentiment: Aurora lowered FY‑2026 revenue guidance to roughly $14M–$16M versus consensus near $19.9M, signaling slower near‑term commercial traction and pressuring near‑term valuation and sentiment.
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen cut its price target from $5.50 to $4.70 and moved to a “hold” rating, which reduces near‑term sell‑side upside and may temper momentum. TD Cowen Lowers Target

About Aurora Innovation

Aurora Innovation, Inc is a technology company specializing in the development of self-driving vehicle systems for both passenger and commercial applications. Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Aurora has built an end-to-end platform—known as the Aurora Driver—that integrates proprietary software, machine learning algorithms and a suite of sensors (LiDAR, radar and cameras) to enable vehicles to operate safely and efficiently in diverse driving environments.

The company’s core business revolves around designing, testing and deploying its autonomy stack on vehicles from established automotive and transportation partners.