Lisanti Capital Growth LLC Purchases New Stake in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Lisanti Capital Growth LLC purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 23,625 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,360,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter valued at $574,566,000. Congress Asset Management Co. grew its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 20.1% during the third quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 595,134 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $84,640,000 after purchasing an additional 99,494 shares in the last quarter. American Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the second quarter worth $69,745,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the second quarter worth $67,549,000. Finally, Korea Investment CORP purchased a new position in AeroVironment in the second quarter valued at $54,901,000. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on AVAV shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on AeroVironment from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Rothschild & Co Redburn initiated coverage on AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $165.00 price objective for the company. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $285.00 target price on AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $223.86.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $152.27, for a total transaction of $38,067.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 48,253 shares in the company, valued at $7,347,484.31. This trade represents a 0.52% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Brian Shackley sold 205 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total value of $41,381.30. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,888 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,592,271.68. This trade represents a 2.53% 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. Over the last three months, insiders sold 805 shares of company stock valued at $142,671. Insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

Recent AeroVironment Headlines

Here are a few of the latest headlines about AVAV:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment received a $405 million international direct commercial sales order for LOCUST X3 high-energy laser systems to expand counter-drone capabilities in the Middle East. The award is a significant commercial win for the product line. Article: AV Awarded Landmark $405 Million International Order for LOCUST X3 Laser Defense Systems
• Positive Sentiment: The company also secured a $315 million initial award under a new U.S. IDIQ contract with a $940 million ceiling. Together, the U.S. and international awards represent $720 million in announced awards, with both described as multiyear programs. Article: AeroVironment Lands $720 Million in Defense Awards
• Neutral Sentiment: The awards suggest AeroVironment’s defense systems are advancing into larger-scale deployment, but investors will likely watch contract execution and how quickly the multiyear programs contribute to revenue. The $940 million figure is the U.S. contract ceiling, not the initial award. Article: Should Major Defense Orders Require Action From AeroVironment Investors?

AeroVironment Trading Up 0.7%

NASDAQ AVAV opened at $124.40 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $136.23 and its 200 day moving average price is $178.12. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12 month low of $100.40 and a 12 month high of $408.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 4.26 and a quick ratio of 3.33. The company has a market capitalization of $6.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -53.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.42.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.77% and a positive return on equity of 4.04%. The firm had revenue of $480.49 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $451.95 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.32 earnings per share. AeroVironment’s quarterly revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AeroVironment Profile

AeroVironment, Inc. develops uncrewed aircraft systems and other technology for defense, government and commercial customers. Its products include small drones used for reconnaissance and surveillance, as well as the Switchblade family of loitering munitions. The company also provides counter-drone systems, training, support and related services. Founded in 1971 by engineer and inventor Paul MacCready, AeroVironment has a history of developing aircraft and uncrewed systems. Its customers include U.S. government and military organizations, allied nations and commercial users.