Rhumbline Advisers Acquires 33,409 Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Rhumbline Advisers raised its holdings in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) by 50.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 99,619 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after acquiring an additional 33,409 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers’ holdings in AeroVironment were worth $31,369,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC increased its position in AeroVironment by 60.0% during the 3rd quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the third quarter worth $25,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% during the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: U.S. Army deployed AVAV’s LOCUST counter‑drone laser near El Paso, triggering a temporary seven‑hour airspace shutdown — strong product validation and a high‑profile fielding by a major customer that can support future contract wins and revenue visibility. Exclusive: AeroVironment’s LOCUST counter-drone laser used by US Army near El Paso airport, sources say
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a “market outperform” view and put a $400 price target on AVAV — a sizable upside that can attract buyers and help underpin the rally if follow‑through on defense program wins continues. Benzinga / TickerReport note on analyst reaffirmation
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest filings for mid‑February show “0” shorted shares and a 0.0 days‑to‑cover figure — this appears to be a reporting anomaly rather than a meaningful change in short positions and should not be interpreted as a shift in short‑seller sentiment. (No reliable source link available)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CFO Kevin McDonnell sold 879 shares (~5% reduction in his disclosed holding), a transaction disclosed to the SEC. Media coverage tied the sale to a near‑term price pullback (some outlets reported ~7.5% weakness after the sale), which can amplify short‑term selling pressure and investor caution. AeroVironment Stock Price Down 7.5% Following Insider Selling SEC Form 4 (CFO sale)

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total transaction of $367,232.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 17,301 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,359,847.60. This trade represents a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total value of $50,184.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 3,589 shares of company stock valued at $1,157,685 in the last ninety days. 0.81% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on AVAV shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded AeroVironment from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $400.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 target price on the stock. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $415.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Friday, January 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $378.06.

AeroVironment Stock Up 3.7%

Shares of NASDAQ AVAV opened at $243.87 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $284.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $293.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a current ratio of 5.08. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 52-week low of $102.25 and a 52-week high of $417.86. The company has a market capitalization of $12.18 billion, a P/E ratio of -195.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 1.23.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.43). The firm had revenue of $472.51 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.16 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.42% and a negative net margin of 5.08%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 150.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.47 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

About AeroVironment

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.