Insider Selling: AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) CAO Sells $42,504.00 in Stock

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total value of $42,504.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 5,794 shares in the company, valued at $1,231,340.88. The trade was a 3.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Brian Charles Shackley also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, December 30th, Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of AeroVironment stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total transaction of $50,184.00.

AeroVironment Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $211.35 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $272.67 and a 200-day moving average of $291.04. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12 month low of $102.25 and a 12 month high of $417.86. The company has a current ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.55 billion, a PE ratio of -48.70, a PEG ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 1.26.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $487.94 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.30 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 143.4% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on AVAV shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on AeroVironment from $325.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 12th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $259.00 to $236.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $260.00 to $235.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. One research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $318.78.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AVAV. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 1.5% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,530,073 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,111,585,000 after acquiring an additional 51,959 shares during the last quarter. Groupama Asset Managment acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at $314,890,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in AeroVironment by 8.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 884,395 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $213,956,000 after purchasing an additional 71,903 shares during the period. Heard Capital LLC raised its position in AeroVironment by 48.4% during the 4th quarter. Heard Capital LLC now owns 722,150 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $174,681,000 after purchasing an additional 235,685 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 17.4% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 686,273 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $216,101,000 after buying an additional 101,713 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Acquisition: AVAV closed its acquisition of Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) (~$200M), adding UAS/AAM engineering, AS9100 manufacturing and hybrid/electric propulsion capabilities that support defense growth plans. AeroVironment Acquires ESAero — DroneLife
• Neutral Sentiment: Q3 results: revenue jumped ~143% YoY (helped by BlueHalo) but AVAV missed revenue and EPS expectations; management still set FY26 EPS guidance (2.75–3.10), leaving a mixed short‑term outlook. AeroVironment Reports $408M FQ3 Revenue — Yahoo
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage: consensus remains a “Moderate Buy” with a ~ $319 average target, but several firms have trimmed targets recently — supportive sentiment but lower price targets cap upside. Analysts Recommend Moderate Buy — AmericanBankingNews
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider activity: small sales disclosed by CAO Brian Shackley and director Stephen Page (200–250 shares each); routine but monitored by investors. SEC Form 4 (Shackley)
• Neutral Sentiment: Management change: announced planned retirement of COO Brad Truesdell — succession/timing could matter for execution but is not an immediate financial red flag. COO Planned Retirement — TipRanks
• Negative Sentiment: Litigation/investigation risk: Pomerantz LLP launched an investor investigation into AVAV and other firms are soliciting inquiries — creates headline risk and uncertainty for investors. Pomerantz Investigation — PR Newswire
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst target cuts: BTIG trimmed its price target (from $415 to $330) despite keeping a Buy rating — target reductions can temper momentum even if ratings remain constructive. BTIG Cuts Price Target — InsiderMonkey
• Negative Sentiment: Negative media pieces flag AVAV as “risky” — additional critical coverage increases volatility and may amplify selling pressure. AVAV Listed Among Risky Stocks — Yahoo

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.