AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading 5.3% Higher - Should You Buy?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report)'s stock price shot up 5.3% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $182.60 and last traded at $181.16. 199,775 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 39% from the average session volume of 324,999 shares. The stock had previously closed at $171.98.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on AVAV. William Blair reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Jefferies Financial Group raised AeroVironment from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $240.00 to $230.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $225.20.

AeroVironment Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 4.61, a quick ratio of 3.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The firm has a market cap of $4.88 billion, a PE ratio of 99.41 and a beta of 0.52. The business has a fifty day moving average of $169.01 and a 200-day moving average of $186.17.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $188.46 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $181.80 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.97 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $198.73, for a total transaction of $78,697.08. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 16,472 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,273,480.56. The trade was a 2.35 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Baillie Gifford & Co. grew its position in AeroVironment by 9.4% during the fourth quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 2,135,280 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $328,598,000 after buying an additional 183,887 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its stake in AeroVironment by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,582,871 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $317,366,000 after purchasing an additional 7,471 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 0.8% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 634,189 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $127,180,000 after purchasing an additional 4,948 shares during the last quarter. Heard Capital LLC boosted its position in AeroVironment by 25.5% during the third quarter. Heard Capital LLC now owns 592,136 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $118,723,000 after purchasing an additional 120,447 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stephens Investment Management Group LLC grew its holdings in AeroVironment by 40.0% in the fourth quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 541,541 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $83,338,000 after purchasing an additional 154,703 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company's stock.

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.