AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Given “Buy” Rating at Needham & Company LLC

Needham & Company LLC restated their buy rating on shares of AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) in a research note released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $225.00 target price on the aerospace company’s stock.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on AVAV. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday. Wedbush began coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. Citizens Jmp restated a “market outperform” rating and set a $350.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $248.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of AeroVironment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $275.11.

AeroVironment Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $148.40 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 3.59, a current ratio of 4.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company has a market cap of $7.51 billion, a P/E ratio of -40.33, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.39. AeroVironment has a 52 week low of $135.20 and a 52 week high of $417.86. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $172.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $221.39.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its earnings results on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.37. The company had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $555.97 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.71% and a negative net margin of 9.00%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.61 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. Research analysts predict that AeroVironment will post 3.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total value of $43,602.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at $8,546,264.41. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 750 shares of company stock valued at $133,502 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sunbelt Securities Inc. acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment won a German drone order, reinforcing demand for its unmanned systems and supporting the company’s defense growth story. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Needham and BTIG both reiterated Buy ratings, suggesting some analysts still see meaningful upside despite recent volatility. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor Day updates and long-term FY2030 targets were well received by some investors, but the market also focused on execution risk and unchanged near-term guidance. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: RBC’s downgrade and concerns about ambitious growth targets are weighing on sentiment, especially after the recent rally in defense names. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing securities-fraud lawsuit reminders and deadline alerts are keeping legal risk in focus for AVAV shareholders. Article Title

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.