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

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-four research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have assigned a hold recommendation, eighteen have given a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $318.7778.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on AVAV. Clear Str upgraded AeroVironment to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on AeroVironment from $260.00 to $235.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. UBS Group dropped their price target on AeroVironment from $259.00 to $236.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Raymond James Financial upgraded AeroVironment from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock.

Trending Headlines about AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms, including Rosen, Faruqi & Faruqi, Robbins LLP, Schall, and Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, announced or reminded investors about a class action lawsuit against AeroVironment covering purchases between June 25, 2025 and March 10, 2026, with a lead-plaintiff deadline of July 27, 2026. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The lawsuit allegations center on claims that AeroVironment misled investors about the profitability and viability of its SCAR program and related business risks, which could pressure the stock if investors fear further legal fallout or reputational damage. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: One market commentary noted that AeroVironment has benefited recently from major U.S. government contract wins and expansion plans, including a $20 million Air Force Research Laboratory contract and a $20.2 million investment to expand missile production capacity, which helps explain why the stock has had strong recent momentum. Article Title

AeroVironment Trading Down 1.5%

Shares of AeroVironment stock opened at $204.09 on Tuesday. AeroVironment has a 12-month low of $156.00 and a 12-month high of $417.86. The stock has a market cap of $10.19 billion, a P/E ratio of -47.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a quick ratio of 4.54, a current ratio of 5.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The business’s 50 day moving average is $185.17 and its 200-day moving average is $241.01.

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

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In related news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.55, for a total value of $88,921.80. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 16,026 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,598,638.30. This represents a 2.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.31, for a total value of $40,577.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 49,251 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,993,929.81. This trade represents a 0.51% 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 1,346 shares of company stock worth $274,456. 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 AVAV. United Services Automobile Association bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the 1st quarter valued at $225,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter worth $285,000. American Century Companies Inc. bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter worth $633,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in AeroVironment by 5,200.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 159 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 156 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in AeroVironment by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 24,188 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $6,892,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

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.