AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Friday morning.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the company. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on AeroVironment from $146.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on AeroVironment from $230.00 to $190.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Raymond James raised AeroVironment from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $200.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $190.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, May 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $208.50.

AeroVironment Stock Up 2.3%

NASDAQ AVAV opened at $190.89 on Friday. AeroVironment has a 52 week low of $102.25 and a 52 week high of $236.60. The company has a quick ratio of 3.36, a current ratio of 4.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $155.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $158.18. The firm has a market cap of $5.39 billion, a PE ratio of 109.71 and a beta of 0.81.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Wahid Nawabi sold 29,366 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.20, for a total transaction of $3,764,721.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 115,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,765,306.80. This trade represents a 20.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.27% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. CoreCap Advisors LLC increased its stake in AeroVironment by 120.2% during the fourth quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 185 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its stake in AeroVironment by 171.1% during the first quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 244 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Colonial Trust Advisors purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Accredited Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About AeroVironment

AeroVironment, Inc designs, develops, produces, delivers, and supports a portfolio of robotic systems and related services for government agencies and businesses in the United States and internationally. It operates through Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS), Tactical Missile System (TMS), Medium Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MUAS), and High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite Systems (HAPS) segments.