AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Director Sells 250 Shares

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Director Stephen Page sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total transaction of $53,130.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 49,751 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,573,082.52. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

AeroVironment Trading Up 5.0%

AVAV stock traded up $10.63 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $222.51. 1,711,627 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,470,922. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $277.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $292.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a current ratio of 5.51. The company has a market cap of $11.11 billion, a PE ratio of -51.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.69 and a beta of 1.26. AeroVironment, Inc. has a one year low of $102.25 and a one year high of $417.86.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by ($0.04). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.26%. The business had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.30 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. Research analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment completed the acquisition of Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) in a cash‑and‑stock deal valued at about $200 million, expanding AVAV’s engineering, AS9100 manufacturing, electric/hybrid propulsion and UAS/AAM capabilities — a clear strategic move to accelerate defense product development and manufacturing scale. AV Acquires Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc.
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile media coverage (CBS 60 Minutes) of AVAV’s laser/air‑defense technology and reports of rising backlog have boosted sentiment and visibility among defense customers and investors. AeroVironment Shows Lasers To Take Out Iran’s Drones. The Stock Is Rising.
• Neutral Sentiment: Q3 FY2026 revenue surged ~143% year‑over‑year to $408M, largely due to the BlueHalo contribution, showing rapid top‑line expansion driven by M&A — however, results missed consensus on EPS and revenue, making the impact mixed for near‑term valuation. AeroVironment Reports $408M FQ3 2026 Revenue
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent short‑interest entries in public data appear inconsistent (reported as 0 shares/NaN), so short‑squeeze or bearish pressure signals are unclear from those reads and shouldn’t be relied on as a definitive market driver.
• Negative Sentiment: Two law firms (Pomerantz; Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman) are soliciting investor inquiries and investigating claims related to AeroVironment, which can increase legal risk, create headline volatility and pressure sentiment. Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of AeroVironment, Inc.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts reacted to the mixed quarter: BTIG cut its price target (while keeping a Buy), and media coverage highlighted concerns that the ESAero deal increases growth ambitions while AVAV still faces profitability and execution challenges — factors that can cap near‑term upside. AeroVironment’s ESAero Deal Tests Growth Ambitions Against Mounting Losses

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AVAV. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% in the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 100.0% during the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new position in AeroVironment during the third quarter worth $25,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $389.00 to $315.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $260.00 to $235.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 price objective for the company. Zacks Research lowered shares of AeroVironment from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “underperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $318.78.

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.