Legal & General Group Plc Acquires Shares of 42,499 AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 42,499 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,015,000. Legal & General Group Plc owned about 0.08% of AeroVironment at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter worth about $574,566,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter worth about $94,655,000. Korea Investment CORP bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the second quarter worth about $54,901,000. Swedbank AB boosted its stake in AeroVironment by 22,773.4% in the fourth quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 261,214 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $63,185,000 after acquiring an additional 260,072 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in shares of AeroVironment by 4,770.1% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 260,207 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $62,941,000 after acquiring an additional 254,864 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 205 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total transaction of $41,381.30. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,888 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,592,271.68. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total value of $43,602.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at $8,546,264.41. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 705 shares of company stock valued at $132,979 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $225.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded AeroVironment from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $210.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Citizens Jmp decreased their target price on AeroVironment from $350.00 to $230.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 10th. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their target price on AeroVironment from $248.00 to $235.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $266.68.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

NASDAQ AVAV opened at $145.39 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $159.67 and its 200-day moving average is $183.86. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12-month low of $135.20 and a 12-month high of $417.86. The company has a quick ratio of 3.59, a current ratio of 4.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm has a market cap of $7.39 billion, a P/E ratio of -39.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 1.41.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The company had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $555.97 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.61 EPS. AeroVironment’s revenue was up 133.3% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.25 earnings per share for the current year.

More AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment was awarded a $464.8 million production contract for the U.S. Army’s Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) program. The company will provide dozens of LOCUST X3 systems to strengthen counter-drone defenses, creating a significant source of revenue and validating its directed-energy technology. AeroVironment Wins $464.8 Million Army Enduring-High Energy Laser Contract
• Positive Sentiment: The award is described as the first-ever U.S. production contract for directed-energy systems, potentially positioning AeroVironment as an early leader in a strategically important defense market. The contract also supports the company’s broader autonomous and counter-unmanned-aircraft-systems growth strategy. AV’s LOCUST Selected for Nearly $500 Million Army Contract
• Positive Sentiment: William Blair reaffirmed a Buy rating, arguing that the Army award restores credibility and provides support for scalable growth. The endorsement may reinforce confidence following the stock’s substantial retreat from its 52-week high. AeroVironment Reaffirmed at Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are preparing for AeroVironment’s upcoming quarterly results, expected on September 9. The report should provide updates on demand, contract execution, revenue growth and profitability. AeroVironment Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cautioned that AeroVironment may not have the typical ingredients for an earnings beat, creating a near-term risk if results or guidance disappoint. AeroVironment Earnings Expectations

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.