AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Short Interest Up 27.1% in November

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in November. As of November 30th, there was short interest totalling 1,640,000 shares, an increase of 27.1% from the November 15th total of 1,290,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 407,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.0 days.

AeroVironment Price Performance

Shares of AVAV traded up $2.62 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $156.50. The stock had a trading volume of 607,318 shares, compared to its average volume of 362,664. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 3.36 and a current ratio of 4.61. AeroVironment has a 12 month low of $116.51 and a 12 month high of $236.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.41 billion, a PE ratio of 89.94 and a beta of 0.45. The company's 50-day moving average is $202.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $192.47.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, December 4th. The aerospace company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.76 by ($0.29). The firm had revenue of $188.46 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $181.80 million. AeroVironment had a net margin of 6.39% and a return on equity of 8.12%. AeroVironment's revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.97 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that AeroVironment will post 3.38 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of AeroVironment from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and dropped their target price for the company from $240.00 to $230.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Robert W. Baird raised AeroVironment from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and raised their target price for the company from $161.00 to $220.00 in a report on Wednesday, August 28th. Alembic Global Advisors raised AeroVironment from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $216.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 28th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $245.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, September 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, AeroVironment presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $225.20.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 508 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $216.65, for a total value of $110,058.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 16,868 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,654,452.20. The trade was a 2.92 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders have sold a total of 1,782 shares of company stock valued at $373,609 in the last ninety days. 1.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AVAV. Raymond James & Associates lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 22.2% during the 2nd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 114,502 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $20,858,000 after buying an additional 20,785 shares during the period. Vista Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 1.9% in the second quarter. Vista Investment Partners LLC now owns 9,926 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $1,808,000 after acquiring an additional 187 shares during the period. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 41.1% in the second quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,289 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $599,000 after acquiring an additional 958 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in AeroVironment by 42.4% during the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 752 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $137,000 after purchasing an additional 224 shares during the period. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. increased its position in AeroVironment by 359.2% during the 2nd quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 1,125 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $205,000 after purchasing an additional 880 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is currently 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.

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