Piper Sandler Rates AeroVironment (AVAV) buy, $248 Price Target

Piper Sandler maintains its buy rating on AeroVironment, setting a $248 price target, a 78.42% upside from the current price.

By TradeTexts Research Desk · Published Jun 26, 2026, 6:01 AM EDT · Updated Jun 30, 2026, 9:03 AM EDT

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Piper Sandler rated AeroVironment, Inc. ($AVAV) "buy" with a $248 price target on June 26, 2026.

Since the rating, $AVAV is up 28.2% after 1 week, up 11.8% after 1 month and down 11.7% to date (from the $137.95 close on Jun 26, 2026).

AVAV AeroVironment, Inc.

$121.79 -52.46% year to date

Daily close · Oct 16, 2026

Key Points

Piper Sandler reiterated its buy rating on AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV) with a $248 price target on June 26, 2026.
Piper Sandler's $248 price target implies 78.42% upside from AeroVironment, Inc.'s ($AVAV) current $139 share price.
Shares of AVAV traded near $136.68 on Friday, with a market cap of approximately $6.92 billion.
Institutional investors like BlackRock and State Street have adjusted their positions in AeroVironment recently.

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Piper Sandler has reiterated its buy rating for AeroVironment, Inc. (NasdaqGS: AVAV) with a price target of $248. This reaffirmation came on June 26, 2026, as analyst Clarke Jeffries maintained confidence in the company's prospects.

Analyst rating track record

Piper Sandler vs. the S&P 500

YTD return -15.83% hypothetical

All-time return +25.90% S&P 500 +34.25%

vs. S&P 500 -8.35% behind the index

Hypothetical returns from Piper Sandler's disclosed trades, not real profit or advice. How we model this.

AeroVironment, Inc. Stock Up 15.3%

Shares of AeroVironment traded near $136.68 on Friday. The company, which operates in the aerospace and defense sector, has a market cap of about $6.92 billion. Despite having no meaningful P/E ratio due to negative earnings, the company has a forward P/E of 34.13. The stock hit a 52-week low of $135.2 and a high of $417.86, with a 50-day moving average of $179.55 and a 200-day moving average of $256.37. AeroVironment maintains a strong financial position with a current ratio of 5.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 19.34.

12-month forecast

$AVAV price target

AeroVironment, Inc. daily closes and this analyst's $248 target. Not advice.

Other Institutional Activity in AeroVironment

Several institutional investors have recently adjusted their holdings in AeroVironment. BlackRock, Inc. reduced its position by 708,485 shares, holding 4,959,699 shares valued at about $907.87 million, marking a 12.5% decrease. Meanwhile, State Street Corp increased its stake by 307,712 shares, now holding 2,289,357 shares worth approximately $419.07 million, reflecting a 15.5% increase. Vanguard Portfolio Management LLC and Vanguard Capital Management LLC both opened new positions, acquiring 1,693,775 and 1,616,315 shares valued at $310.05 million and $295.87 million, respectively. Baillie Gifford & Co reduced its holdings by 153,070 shares, now holding 1,026,741 shares valued at $187.94 million, a 13% decrease.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

On June 26, 2026, Piper Sandler maintained its buy rating on AeroVironment with a price target of $248. Other analysts have echoed this sentiment, with firms like BTIG and Jefferies also maintaining buy ratings with targets of $205 and $305, respectively. The consensus among 16 analysts is a buy recommendation, with a mean target price of $293.31.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment, Inc.

Insider trading at AeroVironment has seen some activity recently. On June 15, 2026, Stephen Page sold 250 shares at an average price of $174.41 under a planned transaction. Earlier, on May 15, he sold another 250 shares at $162.31. COO Robert Fendlay Smith bought 1,800 shares at $194.39 on April 13, 2026, outside of a planned transaction. Chief Accounting Officer Brian Charles Shackley bought 707 shares on March 16, 2026, with additional planned sales of 200 shares at $212.52.

About AeroVironment, Inc.

AeroVironment, Inc., headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, designs and develops robotic systems and related services for government agencies and businesses globally. The company operates in two main segments: Autonomous Systems and Space, Cyber, and Directed Energy. Its products include uncrewed aircraft systems and counter-UAS solutions, along with AI and platform technologies. AeroVironment also offers a range of technologies for space operations and national defense.

Bottom Line

AeroVironment continues to attract attention with its strategic developments and analyst confidence, as Piper Sandler's buy reiteration indicates. The company's financial health and technological innovations keep it in the spotlight. However, as with any 13F filing or analyst rating, it's important to remember this is backward-looking and may not reflect current positions or sentiments.