Benjamin Edwards Inc. Takes Position in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)

Benjamin Edwards Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 3,281 shares of the aerospace company's stock, valued at approximately $658,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. OLD National Bancorp IN acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter worth about $266,000. RFG Advisory LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the second quarter valued at approximately $218,000. DMC Group LLC boosted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 21.5% during the second quarter. DMC Group LLC now owns 1,863 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $339,000 after buying an additional 330 shares during the period. Oak Ridge Investments LLC bought a new position in AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,874,000. Finally, Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $420,000. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AeroVironment Trading Down 1.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ:AVAV traded down $2.29 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $163.33. The company had a trading volume of 803,808 shares, compared to its average volume of 411,403. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $207.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $193.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 3.04 and a current ratio of 4.26. The firm has a market cap of $4.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 93.87 and a beta of 0.45. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 1-year low of $116.51 and a 1-year high of $236.60.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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). AeroVironment had a net margin of 6.39% and a return on equity of 8.19%. The firm had revenue of $188.46 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $181.80 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.97 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 878 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.54, for a total transaction of $184,854.12. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 17,376 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,658,343.04. This trade represents a 4.81 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 1,782 shares of company stock worth $373,609. 1.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $245.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, September 17th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of AeroVironment from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and decreased their target price for the company from $240.00 to $230.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Raymond James downgraded shares of AeroVironment from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday. Finally, Alembic Global Advisors upgraded shares of AeroVironment from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $216.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 28th. One equities research 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $225.20.

AeroVironment 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.