AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 2.750-3.100 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 3.280. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.9 billion-$2.0 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $2.0 billion.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AVAV has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 price target on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their target price on AeroVironment from $335.00 to $315.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “underperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $375.00 to $325.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of AeroVironment from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, AeroVironment presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $348.33.

AeroVironment Stock Down 2.5%

NASDAQ:AVAV traded down $5.72 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $221.57. The stock had a trading volume of 2,075,936 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,910,065. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 5.08 and a quick ratio of 4.29. The stock has a market cap of $11.06 billion, a P/E ratio of -177.26, a PEG ratio of 3.64 and a beta of 1.26. The business’s 50 day moving average is $283.71 and its 200 day moving average is $293.41. AeroVironment has a fifty-two week low of $102.25 and a fifty-two week high of $417.86.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.72 by ($0.08). AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.42% and a negative net margin of 5.08%.The company had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $487.94 million. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that AeroVironment will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total value of $377,620.00. Following the sale, the director owned 51,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,258,997.62. This represents a 1.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 4,589 shares of company stock worth $1,428,910 in the last ninety days. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

AeroVironment News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ongoing product and capability expansion in counter‑UAS and RF/AI sensing positions AeroVironment to benefit from rising military demand for C‑UAS/ISR systems. How Is AeroVironment Expanding Its Counter-Drone Defense Capabilities?
• Positive Sentiment: Company commentary (TipRanks update) highlights management addressing a contract (SCAR) termination and outlining future opportunities — may calm some investor concerns about single‑contract risk. AeroVironment Addresses SCAR Termination and Future Opportunities
• Neutral Sentiment: Company filed its formal Q3 results and slide deck (official release) — provides the detailed numbers and management commentary for investors to review. Q3 Press Release / Slide Deck
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market commentary notes AeroVironment is a beneficiary of geopolitical tensions and increased interest in defense tech, which supports a positive medium‑term demand thesis despite near‑term noise. AeroVironment Earnings Will Be Key Amid Drone-Based Fighting
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 results missed expectations: EPS $0.64 vs. ~$0.72 consensus and revenue $408.1M vs. ~$488M consensus — the miss and lower margins explain immediate selling pressure. AeroVironment Stock Drops After Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Management cut FY‑2026 guidance to $2.75–$3.10 adj. EPS (prior $3.40–$3.55) and guided revenue to ~$1.9–$2.0B vs. Street expectations near $2.0B — the guidance shortfall is a primary reason the stock is down. AeroVironment Cuts Guidance, Says Timing Issues Hurt Results
• Negative Sentiment: Investor class‑action interest: Pomerantz announced an investigation into AVAV investors, which can add legal overhang and increase short‑term volatility. Pomerantz Investor Alert

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. National Bank of Canada FI raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 230.3% during the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 109 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at about $40,000. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the third quarter worth about $44,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in AeroVironment by 5,200.0% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 159 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 29.7% during the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 188 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

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.