AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Position Lowered by Montag A & Associates Inc.

Montag A & Associates Inc. trimmed its position in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) by 73.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,510 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 4,209 shares during the period. Montag A & Associates Inc.’s holdings in AeroVironment were worth $232,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in AeroVironment by 299.4% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,821 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,037,000 after buying an additional 3,614 shares during the period. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in AeroVironment by 22.7% during the 4th quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,893 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $599,000 after acquiring an additional 721 shares in the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 10.9% in the 4th quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 333,193 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $51,275,000 after purchasing an additional 32,663 shares during the period. KBC Group NV lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 63.3% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,231 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $189,000 after purchasing an additional 477 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth approximately $333,000. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of AVAV opened at $156.99 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $4.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 90.22 and a beta of 0.52. The company’s fifty day moving average is $166.56 and its 200-day moving average is $186.26. The company has a quick ratio of 3.36, a current ratio of 4.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12 month low of $121.38 and a 12 month high of $236.60.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) 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). 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 analyst estimates of $181.80 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.97 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on AVAV shares. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of AeroVironment from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $240.00 to $230.00 in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $225.20.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of AeroVironment 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 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 through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.27% 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.