AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Short Interest Up 18.5% in January

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,880,000 shares, a growth of 18.5% from the December 31st total of 2,430,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 441,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 6.5 days.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AVAV traded up $8.17 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $180.15. The company had a trading volume of 399,857 shares, compared to its average volume of 304,113. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 4.61 and a quick ratio of 3.36. AeroVironment has a 1-year low of $119.46 and a 1-year high of $236.60. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $169.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $186.12. The firm has a market cap of $5.08 billion, a PE ratio of 103.53 and a beta of 0.50.

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

Insider Activity

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Security National Bank purchased a new position in AeroVironment during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Modus Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its stake in AeroVironment by 1,515.4% in the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 210 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares during the period. Finally, Bogart Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth $38,000. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AVAV has been the subject of a number of research reports. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AeroVironment presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $225.20.

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.