Keystone Investors PTE Ltd. Makes New Investment in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Keystone Investors PTE Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm acquired 7,480 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,355,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. 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 buying an additional 433,830 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the second quarter worth approximately $75,690,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 75.6% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 609,019 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $173,540,000 after purchasing an additional 262,239 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in AeroVironment by 550.7% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 178,204 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $56,115,000 after purchasing an additional 150,819 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in AeroVironment by 54.0% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 398,772 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $113,630,000 after purchasing an additional 139,880 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Trading Down 2.8%

Shares of AVAV stock opened at $252.25 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 4.29, a current ratio of 5.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm has a market cap of $12.59 billion, a P/E ratio of -201.80, a PEG ratio of 3.93 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a 50 day moving average of $287.75 and a 200-day moving average of $293.57. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12-month low of $102.25 and a 12-month high of $417.86.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 analysts’ expectations of $466.16 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.47 EPS. AeroVironment’s revenue for the quarter was up 150.7% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total transaction of $68,750.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 50,251 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,819,025. This 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 is available through this link. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company’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 transaction 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 ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 4,339 shares of company stock worth $1,353,910. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on AVAV shares. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of AeroVironment from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $320.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, January 12th. UBS Group assumed coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $259.00 price target for the company. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $367.00.

Key Stories Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Large U.S. Army order bolsters revenue visibility — AV received a $186 million delivery order for Switchblade 600 Block 2 and Switchblade 300 Block 20 systems, reinforcing government demand for AVAV’s precision loitering munitions. Why AeroVironment (AVAV) Is Down 7.8% After Landing a $186 Million Switchblade Order – And What’s Next
• Positive Sentiment: Sector tailwinds and analyst optimism — Aerospace/defense stocks are strong and many analysts remain bullish on AVAV (consensus price target materially above the current price), which supports upside if margins and earnings improve. Defense Stocks Are Soaring—AeroVironment’s Earnings Could Close the Gap
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile endorsement — Jim Cramer called AeroVironment “a very good company, very well‑run,” which can help sentiment among retail investors and reduce downside risk from short‑term headlines. Jim Cramer on AeroVironment: “A Very Good Company, Very Well-Run”
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings call is a near‑term catalyst — Management will report Q3 FY2026 results after the close and host a conference call; the print and guidance/revenue mix commentary will likely drive short‑term stock direction. AV, Inc. to Announce Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2026 Earnings and Host Conference Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data appears unreliable — Recent entries show zero shares and NaN changes; available figures don’t indicate a material short squeeze threat or fresh shorting pressure at this time.
• Negative Sentiment: Stock fell on valuation and margin concerns despite the order — Coverage and commentary point to AVAV trading as an expensive drone/defense name; investors reacted negatively because strong top‑line orders haven’t yet translated into margin recovery or consistent EPS beats. Why Did AeroVironment Stock Drop Today?
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure and execution risks — Recent commentary and analysis cite lower adjusted gross margins (Oracle ERP transition costs, mix shift after the BlueHalo acquisition, and government shipment delays) that suppress near‑term profitability until product mix and systems issues normalize. Defense Stocks Are Soaring—AeroVironment’s Earnings Could Close the Gap

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.