AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Up 2.3% – Here’s What Happened

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) traded up 2.3% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $216.00 and last traded at $211.88. 1,478,568 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 26% from the average session volume of 1,988,023 shares. The stock had previously closed at $207.07.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment agreed to acquire Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $200 million — a move that adds UAS and advanced air mobility engineering, electric/hybrid propulsion know-how, AS9100 manufacturing and rapid prototyping capabilities that can accelerate product development and scale. Drone-maker AeroVironment buys aerospace engineering firm ESAero in $200 million deal
• Positive Sentiment: Broad media exposure for AV’s LOCUST laser defense system (CBS 60 Minutes coverage) likely lifted sentiment and visibility; reports also note Q3 backlog growth (around +47% YoY), suggesting stronger near-term order momentum. AeroVironment (AVAV) Stock Gains Ground Following 60 Minutes Laser Defense Showcase
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media writeups (Seeking Alpha, Motley Fool) continue to position AVAV as a longer-term defense/air-mobility growth story — useful for sentiment but less immediately catalytic than hard order wins or financial beats. AeroVironment Mobilizes For High-Volume Deployment
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG trimmed its price target to $330 from $415 while keeping a Buy rating after Q3 results missed revenue and EPS expectations — this reduces upside in some analysts’ models and can cap short-term gains. BTIG Cuts AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV)’s Price Target To $330, Maintains Buy Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Following the analyst action, some outlets reported a small selloff/price weakness tied to the downgrade — a reminder that execution against guidance, margins and any acquisition dilution will be watched closely. AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Down 2.3% After Analyst Downgrade

Analyst Ratings Changes

AVAV has been the topic of several research reports. Zacks Research cut shares of AeroVironment from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. UBS Group dropped their price target on AeroVironment from $259.00 to $236.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Citizens Jmp reduced their price objective on AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, January 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $318.78.

AeroVironment Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $10.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -48.82, a PEG ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 1.26. The company’s fifty day moving average is $281.00 and its 200 day moving average is $292.52. The company has a quick ratio of 4.54, a current ratio of 5.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.68 by ($0.04). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.26%. The business had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.30 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total value of $75,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 50,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,000,300. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total value of $50,184.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at $1,504,014.48. The trade was a 3.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,474 shares of company stock valued at $1,390,404. 0.81% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the first quarter worth $225,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the second quarter valued at $285,000. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in shares of AeroVironment by 319.5% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 667 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $190,000 after acquiring an additional 508 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of AeroVironment by 24.3% in the 2nd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 1,088 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $310,000 after acquiring an additional 213 shares during the period. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 7.2% during the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,326 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $948,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Company Profile

AeroVironment, Inc (NASDAQ:AVAV) is a technology company specializing in unmanned aerial systems (UAS), tactical missiles and precision loitering munitions, electric vehicle charging and scalable energy systems. Headquartered in Monrovia, California, the company develops solutions for defense, public safety and commercial markets. Their offerings include small UAS for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as advanced weapons systems designed to meet the needs of modern military operations.

The company’s unmanned aerial systems portfolio features platforms such as the Raven, Puma and Switchblade series, which are deployed by the U.S.