Key Points
- CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 879 shares on Feb. 10 at an average price of $267.60 for ~$235,220, trimming his stake by 5.08% to 16,422 shares (transaction disclosed on an SEC Form 4).
- AeroVironment missed quarterly EPS expectations ($0.44 vs. $0.87) despite revenue rising 150.7% year-over-year, but set FY2026 guidance of 3.400–3.550 EPS and carries a consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $378.06 while the stock is down ~7.5%.
- The company is repositioning toward larger defense programs — hiring a senior Washington operations lead and receiving media coverage of potential USAF deals — a strategic move that could boost future contract wins if sustained.
AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 879 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $267.60, for a total value of $235,220.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 16,422 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,394,527.20. The trade was a 5.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.
Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Monday, January 12th, Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of AeroVironment stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total transaction of $367,232.40.
- On Wednesday, December 10th, Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 511 shares of AeroVironment stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.37, for a total transaction of $127,428.07.
AeroVironment Stock Down 7.5%
AeroVironment stock opened at $243.42 on Thursday. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 52 week low of $102.25 and a 52 week high of $417.86. The stock has a market cap of $12.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -194.74, a PEG ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 1.23. The company's 50-day moving average price is $286.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $294.18. The company has a current ratio of 5.08, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.43). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.08% and a positive return on equity of 3.42%. The company had revenue of $472.51 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $466.16 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.47 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 150.7% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. On average, analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
AVAV has been the subject of several research reports. Zacks Research raised AeroVironment from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $390.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a "strong-buy" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $400.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $335.00 to $315.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $378.06.
Get Our Latest Research Report on AVAV
AeroVironment News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Company hires a senior Washington operations lead to strengthen government engagement — AV announced Stephen Voline as Senior Director, Washington Operations to support Congressional, DoD and national-security stakeholder engagement, which could help win future defense contracts and improve program win rates. AV Welcomes Stephen Voline
- Positive Sentiment: Media suggests AVAV is repositioning toward defense wins — a Yahoo Finance piece highlights the new DC hire alongside a reported USAF deal, framing this as a strategic shift toward larger defense programs that could sustainably boost revenues if follow-through occurs. Is AeroVironment Quietly Repositioning?
- Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest reports show zero shares (data appears inconsistent) — filings for Feb. 10–11 list 0 shorted shares and a 0.0 days-to-cover figure, which looks like a reporting anomaly and is not meaningful evidence of a changing short-seller stance. (No reliable link available)
- Negative Sentiment: Company CFO sold shares — CFO Kevin Patrick McDonnell sold 879 shares at an average $267.60 (roughly a 5.08% reduction in his holdings), a transaction disclosed in an SEC filing that can raise investor concern about insider conviction even though the remaining stake is still material. SEC Form 4
- Negative Sentiment: Analyst/market notes highlight recent share weakness and underperformance — Zacks pieces report recent daily and three-month declines, noting AVAV has lagged peers despite new defense contracts and strong liquidity, which likely amplifies selling pressure and negative sentiment. AVAV Falls More Steeply AVAV Underperforms Industry
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC grew its position in AeroVironment by 60.0% during the 3rd quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised its position in AeroVironment by 100.0% during the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About AeroVironment
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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