Insider Trading February 19, 2026

Aveanna Healthcare SVP Deborah Stewart Sells 29,815 Shares to Cover Tax Bill; Company Lifts 2025 Guidance

Form 4 shows $220,196 in sales between Feb. 17-19, 2026; Aveanna raises 2025 revenue and adjusted EBITDA outlook, drawing analyst upgrades

By Avery Klein AVAH
Aveanna Healthcare SVP Deborah Stewart Sells 29,815 Shares to Cover Tax Bill; Company Lifts 2025 Guidance
AVAH

Deborah Stewart, Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of Aveanna Healthcare Holdings (NASDAQ: AVAH), disposed of 29,815 shares of common stock across three transactions recorded on a Form 4 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The sales, executed between Feb. 17 and Feb. 19, 2026, brought in $220,196 and were reported as transactions to satisfy tax obligations connected to vested equity awards. Separately, Aveanna updated its fiscal 2025 guidance and released 2026 projections, raising revenue and adjusted EBITDA forecasts and prompting several analyst target increases.

Key Points

  • Deborah Stewart, Aveannas SVP and Chief Accounting Officer, sold 29,815 shares between Feb. 17 and Feb. 19, 2026, generating $220,196 to cover taxes from vested equity awards - this impacts the corporate governance and insider activity narratives within the healthcare sector.
  • Aveanna raised fiscal 2025 revenue guidance to $2.425 billion-$2.445 billion and increased adjusted EBITDA expectations to $318-$322 million, prompting several analyst price target increases - relevant to equity markets and healthcare services investors.
  • Analysts including UBS, RBC Capital, Raymond James, and William Blair reacted positively to the guidance update with higher price targets or new coverage, influencing investor sentiment in the healthcare services and home health subsectors.

Aveanna Healthcare Holdings (NASDAQ: AVAH) disclosed a set of insider transactions in a Form 4 filing that show Deborah Stewart, the companys Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, sold a total of 29,815 shares of common stock in multiple trades between Feb. 17 and Feb. 19, 2026. The aggregate proceeds from those sales amounted to $220,196.

The stock was trading near $7.42 at the time of the filings and had declined roughly 6.4% over the prior week. Separate analysis from InvestingPro cited in the public filings indicates the healthcare services company appeared undervalued versus its Fair Value estimate.


Transaction breakdown

  • Feb. 17, 2026 - Stewart sold 7,738 shares at a weighted average price of $7.6451; the reported price range for those trades was $7.47 to $7.97.
  • Feb. 18, 2026 - She sold 10,896 shares at a weighted average price of $7.3829, with trade prices ranging from $7.175 to $7.53.
  • Feb. 19, 2026 - The final block comprised 11,181 shares sold at a weighted average price of $7.2082; prices ranged from $7.06 to $7.29.

Company filings state the dispositions were executed to cover tax liabilities arising from the vesting of equity awards. After completing the sales, Stewart retains direct ownership of 301,807 shares of Aveanna Healthcare Holdings common stock.


Guidance update and analyst responses

In separate corporate disclosures, Aveanna revised its fiscal 2025 guidance and released a set of projections for fiscal 2026. For 2025, the company now forecasts revenue in a range of $2.425 billion to $2.445 billion, up from a prior projection of more than $2.375 billion. The company also lifted its adjusted EBITDA outlook to a range of $318 million to $322 million.

Following the guidance revision, several sell-side analysts adjusted price targets and ratings. UBS increased its price target to $10 while keeping a Neutral rating. RBC Capital raised its target to $11 and maintained a Sector Perform rating. Raymond James moved its target to $13, citing the better-than-expected Home Health Final Rule and changes in the timing of debt paydown. William Blair initiated coverage with an Outperform rating, calling out the companys private duty nursing services.


Context and implications

The insider sales were disclosed as tax-related actions tied to equity vesting rather than discretionary portfolio exits. The guidance upgrade and analyst responses indicate a favorable reception from some market participants, but the Form 4 filing documents the precise timing, volumes, and price ranges of the transactions without attributing further strategic motives.

Risks

  • Insider transactions were executed to satisfy tax obligations on vested equity awards; while disclosed, such sales can be perceived by investors as increased share supply in the near term, potentially affecting stock market liquidity and pricing in the short run - relevant to market participants in equities.
  • Company guidance and analyst projections, while upgraded, remain forward-looking and subject to execution risks and regulatory or reimbursement changes that could affect revenue and adjusted EBITDA outcomes - impacting healthcare services operators and investors.
  • Analyst target changes reflect updated expectations but do not guarantee performance; reliance on these revised targets introduces uncertainty for investors who may adjust positions based on those assessments - pertinent to capital markets and institutional investors.

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