Thornburg Investment Management Inc. Purchases New Stake in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Thornburg Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 14,051 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,399,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AVAV. ARK Investment Management LLC increased its position in AeroVironment by 28.9% in the third quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 400,457 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $126,100,000 after buying an additional 89,697 shares during the period. F m Investments LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter worth $1,775,000. Keystone Investors PTE Ltd. acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the third quarter worth $2,355,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in AeroVironment by 92.2% in the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 20,173 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $5,168,000 after buying an additional 9,675 shares during the period. Finally, GW&K Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the third quarter worth $17,934,000. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.31, for a total value of $40,577.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 49,251 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,993,929.81. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AVAV has been the topic of several analyst reports. UBS Group dropped their target price on AeroVironment from $259.00 to $236.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their target price on AeroVironment from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. BTIG Research dropped their target price on AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised AeroVironment from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $318.78.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment unveiled the TOM 50 RE, a backpackable uncrewed ground vehicle designed for rapid reconnaissance and explosive ordnance disposal, which highlights continued product innovation in defense robotics. AV Introduces TOM 50 RE, a Backpackable UGV for Rapid Reconnaissance and Explosive Ordnance Disposal
• Positive Sentiment: The company announced it will report fourth-quarter and full-year fiscal 2026 results on June 29 and hold a conference call afterward, which can raise investor attention and create anticipation ahead of earnings. AeroVironment, Inc. to Announce Fourth Quarter and Full Fiscal Year 2026 Earnings and Host Conference Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple law firms continued reminding investors about a July 27 deadline in the company’s securities class-action case, keeping legal overhang in focus but not adding new case developments. Deadline Alert: AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV) Shareholders Who Lost Money Urged To Contact Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP About Securities Fraud Lawsuit
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional investor-alert notices from Faruqi & Faruqi, Rosen, and Schall also reiterated the same lawsuit deadline, reinforcing the legal backdrop around the shares. AVAV INVESTOR ALERT: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Reminds AeroVironment (AVAV) Investors of Securities Class Action Lawsuit Deadline on July 27, 2026
• Negative Sentiment: The legal claims specifically allege that AeroVironment executives overstated a $1.7 billion contract while the U.S. Space Force was reassessing its acquisition strategy, which could pressure sentiment if investors view the allegations as credible. AVAV UPCOMING DEADLINE: Levi & Korsinsky Alerts AeroVironment, Inc. Stockholders of Securities Class Action – Contact the Firm

AeroVironment Trading Up 0.8%

NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $171.95 on Tuesday. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 1 year low of $156.00 and a 1 year high of $417.86. The stock has a market cap of $8.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -39.62, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.35. The business has a fifty day moving average of $183.96 and a 200-day moving average of $233.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a current ratio of 5.51.

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.