Vanguard Group Inc. Acquires 51,959 Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,530,073 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 51,959 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 7.07% of AeroVironment worth $1,111,585,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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 raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% in the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its position in 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. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total value of $68,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 50,251 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,819,025. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 879 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $267.60, for a total value of $235,220.40. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 16,422 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,394,527.20. This trade represents a 5.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 4,339 shares of company stock valued at $1,353,910 in the last 90 days. 0.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

AeroVironment Trading Down 6.0%

AVAV opened at $264.63 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $13.21 billion, a P/E ratio of -211.70, a PEG ratio of 3.99 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a current ratio of 5.08, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The company’s 50 day moving average is $285.39 and its 200-day moving average is $293.70. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 1-year low of $102.25 and a 1-year high of $417.86.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $415.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, January 26th. KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday. They set a “neutral” rating and a $259.00 price target for the company. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $335.00 to $315.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $367.00.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bull case: a Seeking Alpha deep dive highlights the BlueHalo acquisition, the firm’s LOCUST directed‑energy progress, a $1.1B funded / $3B unfunded backlog and ~93% 2026 revenue visibility — analysts there model a fair value near $290, supporting upside vs. recent prices. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum note: The Motley Fool reports AVAV “climbed 15%” recently, citing an unexpected catalyst and increased Wall Street attention — this type of momentum can attract short‑term buyers. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: New coverage: UBS initiated coverage with a “neutral” rating and a $259 price target (slightly below recent levels) — this provides more liquidity in analyst views but is unlikely to spark a major re‑rating on its own. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor access: AV’s CFO will appear at the Citizens Technology Conference (fireside chat March 2, to be webcast) — useful for incremental transparency but not an immediate earnings catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate: a Yahoo piece questions whether the recent ~33% pullback already prices in risk and examines DCF upside potential — highlights disagreement among investors on fair value, which can sustain volatility. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Critical take: a Seeking Alpha column titled “Shockingly Uninteresting” raises skeptical points on growth durability and excitement, which can reinforce selling pressure among more value‑oriented investors. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Noisy short‑interest reports: multiple feeds flagged a “large increase” in February short interest, but the published figures appear inconsistent/erroneous (zeros/NaN). Even so, headlines about rising shorts can trigger fear/stop‑loss selling and add to intraday downside.

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.