HighTower Advisors LLC Purchases 2,114 Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) by 32.0% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 8,723 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after buying an additional 2,114 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in AeroVironment were worth $2,747,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in AeroVironment by 14.3% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,478,114 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $991,089,000 after acquiring an additional 433,830 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the second quarter valued at $75,690,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in AeroVironment by 75.6% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 609,019 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $173,540,000 after purchasing an additional 262,239 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in AeroVironment by 550.7% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 178,204 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $56,115,000 after purchasing an additional 150,819 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 54.0% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 398,772 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $113,630,000 after buying an additional 139,880 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AeroVironment Trading Up 1.7%

NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $259.62 on Friday. 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 5.08, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -207.70, a PEG ratio of 3.85 and a beta of 1.23. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $287.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $293.52.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $390.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Citizens Jmp reiterated a “market outperform” rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $367.00.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: $186M U.S. Army delivery order for Switchblade systems — A $186 million delivery order for Switchblade 600 Block 2 and Switchblade 300 Block 20 loitering munitions strengthens AVAV’s government backlog and provides visible near‑term revenue and cash flow. AV Receives $186 Million U.S. Army Delivery Order for Next-Generation Switchblade Systems
• Positive Sentiment: Sector tailwinds and analyst bullishness — Coverage notes aerospace/defense is outperforming the market, institutional buying is strong, and analysts’ consensus price target (~$367) implies meaningful upside; MarketBeat also highlights record contract awards and revenue guidance that support growth expectations. Defense Stocks Are Soaring—AeroVironment’s Earnings Could Close the Gap
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism: multiple analysts see large upside — Coverage (24/7 Wall St.) highlights 17 analysts projecting substantial upside ahead of earnings, which can lift sentiment and buying interest into the report. 17 Analysts See 42% Upside in AeroVironment as March Earnings Approach
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile endorsement — Jim Cramer called AVAV “a very good company, very well‑run,” which can boost retail sentiment and intraday buying. Jim Cramer on AeroVironment: “A Very Good Company, Very Well-Run”
• Neutral Sentiment: Stock movement vs. market — Several trade notes report AVAV advanced while the broader market declined; useful for short‑term momentum but not a fundamental driver. AeroVironment (AVAV) Advances While Market Declines
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data appears unreliable in recent feeds (reported as zeros); no clear short squeeze signal from available data.
• Negative Sentiment: Margin and execution headwinds remain — Coverage highlights compressed gross margins (mid‑20s in a recent quarter), one‑time Oracle implementation costs, revenue mix shifts after the BlueHalo acquisition, and a prior EPS miss — these factors keep upside contingent on margin recovery. Defense Stocks Are Soaring—AeroVironment’s Earnings Could Close the Gap
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish takes and “avoid” articles — Some pieces outline reasons to avoid AVAV (valuation sensitivity, recent share weakness, and execution risk), which can weigh on sentiment into earnings. 3 Reasons to Avoid AVAV and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In related news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 879 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $267.60, for a total transaction of $235,220.40. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 16,422 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,394,527.20. The trade was a 5.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total transaction of $50,184.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. The trade was a 3.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 4,339 shares of company stock worth $1,353,910. 0.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

AeroVironment 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.