Brokerages Set AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Price Target at $225.20

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) has received an average rating of “Buy” from the eight brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $225.20.

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on AVAV. William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded AeroVironment from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $240.00 to $230.00 in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In related news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $198.73, for a total value of $78,697.08. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 16,472 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,273,480.56. This trade represents a 2.35 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.27% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. Security National Bank purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Modus Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter worth $36,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in AeroVironment by 3,080.0% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 318 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 308 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new position in AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at $62,000. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AeroVironment Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $177.88 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.02 billion, a PE ratio of 102.23 and a beta of 0.50. AeroVironment has a 1 year low of $119.46 and a 1 year high of $236.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 4.61 and a quick ratio of 3.36. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $172.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $185.76.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, December 4th. The aerospace company reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.76 by ($0.29). AeroVironment had a return on equity of 8.12% and a net margin of 6.39%. The business had revenue of $188.46 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $181.80 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.97 earnings per share. AeroVironment’s quarterly revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that AeroVironment will post 3.38 EPS for the current year.

AeroVironment Company Profile

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.