Citizens Financial Group has reaffirmed its Market Outperform rating on AeroVironment Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) and retained a $400.00 price target, a stance that aligns with a generally bullish analyst consensus on the drone and unmanned systems company.
According to InvestingPro data, available analyst price targets span from $260.91 to $450, reflecting a broad range of expectations among the sell-side. The rating update from Citizens follows investor meetings held on Tuesday in Los Angeles with AeroVironment Chief Financial Officer Kevin McDonnell.
Investors are also watching the company’s next scheduled earnings release on March 10. InvestingPro data indicates analysts anticipate both net income growth and expanded sales for the company during the current year.
On a year-to-date basis the stock has climbed roughly 9.7%, compared with the S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF, which is up about 14% over the same period. For broader market context, the Russell 3000 index has gained around 0.2% year-to-date.
The reiteration was issued by Citizens analyst Trevor Walsh.
Other recent analyst activity has painted a mixed picture of near-term positioning and long-term potential. UBS initiated coverage with a Neutral rating and a $259 price target, pointing to a growing global unmanned market and indicating potential upside from AeroVironment’s BlueHalo acquisition. UBS’s projections include a 15% compound annual growth rate in revenue and an 18.5% EBITDA margin by 2030 for the company.
JPMorgan also began coverage recently, assigning an Overweight rating and a $320 price objective, citing AeroVironment’s presence in rapidly expanding defense subsectors such as drones and space.
Citizens’ Market Outperform position and $400 target emphasize what the firm describes as favorable trends in U.S. and global defense priorities that are supporting increased funding and procurement in areas relevant to AeroVironment. Market-size estimates cited alongside these analyst views point to significant demand potential: the global drone market is projected to reach approximately $53.45 billion by 2026 and could exceed $111 billion by 2030.
These analyst notes and market projections illustrate the dynamic environment surrounding AeroVironment and the varying perspectives on how company execution, acquisitions and market growth will translate into future financial performance. For now, the sell-side shows a spectrum of expectations captured in the InvestingPro price target range and the discrete ratings from UBS, JPMorgan and Citizens.