AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-three research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $305.3333.

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group reduced their price objective on AeroVironment from $259.00 to $236.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on AeroVironment from $260.00 to $235.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their price objective on AeroVironment from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Clear Str upgraded AeroVironment to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut AeroVironment from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment appointed former Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III to its Board of Directors, a move that could strengthen governance and deepen defense-industry credibility. AV Appoints William J. Lynn III to Board of Directors
• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler maintained an overweight rating on AVAV even after cutting its price target, suggesting the firm still sees meaningful upside from current levels. AeroVironment price target lowered by Piper Sandler
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and market-commentary pieces highlighted AeroVironment as a defense stock with strong backlog and revenue-growth potential, but these were more comparative/overview articles than new company-specific catalysts. 2 Space and Defense Stocks Turning Backlogs Into Revenue Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms announced or reminded investors about a pending class-action lawsuit alleging securities fraud, with a lead-plaintiff deadline in late July; this cluster of legal updates is the biggest negative overhang on AVAV today. Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC Urges AeroVironment, Inc. Investors to Act
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG sharply reduced its price target on AVAV, and other reports noted the stock has fallen more steeply than the broader market, reinforcing concerns about near-term valuation and momentum. BTIG Slashes Price Target on AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV) by $125

AeroVironment Trading Up 0.9%

NASDAQ AVAV opened at $137.95 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $177.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $226.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a current ratio of 5.51. AeroVironment has a one year low of $135.20 and a one year high of $417.86. The firm has a market cap of $6.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -31.79, a PEG ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.35.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total transaction of $43,602.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 49,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 750 shares of company stock worth $133,503. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of AVAV. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 1st quarter valued at $225,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the second quarter worth approximately $285,000. American Century Companies Inc. purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the second quarter worth approximately $633,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of AeroVironment by 5,200.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 159 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in shares of AeroVironment by 0.4% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 24,188 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $6,892,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

About AeroVironment

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.