7,076 AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV Shares Purchased by Moody National Bank Trust Division

Moody National Bank Trust Division grew its holdings in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) by 96.0% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 14,449 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,076 shares during the quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division’s holdings in AeroVironment were worth $2,055,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in AeroVironment during the second quarter worth approximately $574,566,000. Heard Capital LLC lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 48.4% in the fourth quarter. Heard Capital LLC now owns 722,150 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $174,681,000 after buying an additional 235,685 shares during the period. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 18.8% during the 1st quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 490,426 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $89,772,000 after buying an additional 77,619 shares in the last quarter. American Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $69,745,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $67,549,000. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Stock Up 3.0%

Shares of AeroVironment stock traded up $4.24 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $143.54. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,574,753 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,670,916. AeroVironment, Inc. has a one year low of $135.20 and a one year high of $417.86. The company has a market capitalization of $7.29 billion, a P/E ratio of -61.34, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.36. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $157.70 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $169.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 3.33 and a current ratio of 4.26.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.37. The firm had revenue of $480.49 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $451.95 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.77% and a positive return on equity of 4.04%. The business’s revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.32 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast 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: Strong Switchblade demand and backlog support future revenue. AeroVironment has secured major military contracts for its Switchblade loitering munition systems. At the end of fiscal 2027’s first quarter, the company reported approximately $1.5 billion in funded backlog and another $1.4 billion in unfunded backlog, providing substantial potential revenue visibility. Should Investors Buy the Dip in AeroVironment or Wait for Profitability?
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG reiterated its bullish view. Analyst Andre Madrid maintained a Buy rating and a $205 price target, citing strength in directed-energy and counter-drone systems. The target implies meaningful upside from the stock’s recent trading level and reinforces the investment case around next-generation defense technologies. AeroVironment Maintained at Buy with $205 Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Valuation comparisons favor AeroVironment’s established defense position. Commentary contrasting AeroVironment with smaller drone company Ondas emphasized AVAV’s larger revenue base, stronger defense-contracting credentials and more established customer relationships. A separate report cited a consensus price target of $231.89. AeroVironment Consensus Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors remain divided over the timing of profitability. Although recent earnings exceeded expectations, AeroVironment continues to report a negative net margin and negative price-to-earnings ratio. The key question is whether backlog growth and defense demand can translate into sustainable profits before valuation concerns intensify. Should Investors Buy the Dip in AeroVironment or Wait for Profitability?

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $152.27, for a total value of $38,067.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 48,253 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,347,484.31. This represents a 0.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Brian Shackley sold 205 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total value of $41,381.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 7,888 shares in the company, valued at $1,592,271.68. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 805 shares of company stock valued at $142,671 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on AVAV shares. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $166.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $285.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, September 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Wolfe Research lowered shares of AeroVironment to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut shares of AeroVironment from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $210.00 to $180.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $228.37.

AeroVironment Profile

AeroVironment, Inc is a defense technology company that develops and supplies autonomous systems, uncrewed aircraft, loitering munitions and counter-uncrewed-aircraft systems. Its portfolio includes small unmanned aircraft systems such as Raven, Puma and Wasp, as well as larger platforms including JUMP 20 and Quantix Recon.

The company is also known for its Switchblade family of loitering munitions, which combine surveillance, target identification and precision strike capabilities. AeroVironment provides related ground control systems, sensors, software, communications equipment, training and support services for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Founded in 1971 by aerospace engineer Paul B.