Key Points
- CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares on March 10 at an average price of $224.55 for $88,921.80, trimming his stake by 2.41% to 16,026 shares.
- AeroVironment reported Q3 revenue of $408.1M (up ~143% YoY) but missed analyst revenue and EPS estimates (EPS $0.64 vs. $0.72 consensus) and set FY2026 EPS guidance of $2.75–3.10, below Street expectations.
- Market reaction and risks: shares fell after the miss, several firms cut price targets despite mostly bullish ratings, and the company faces heightened headline and financing risk from a $727M notes issuance, potential ~$1.7B contract uncertainty, and an investor probe.
AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.55, for a total transaction of $88,921.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 16,026 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,598,638.30. This represents a 2.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.
Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Tuesday, February 10th, Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 879 shares of AeroVironment stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $267.60, for a total value of $235,220.40.
- On Monday, January 12th, Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of AeroVironment stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total value of $367,232.40.
AeroVironment Stock Up 1.9%
AVAV stock traded up $3.87 during trading on Thursday, hitting $211.60. 905,035 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,964,764. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -48.45, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.26. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 52-week low of $102.25 and a 52-week high of $417.86. The company has a current ratio of 5.08, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $282.58 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $292.68.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.72 by ($0.08). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.52%. The company had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.30 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current year.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup reissued a "market outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $389.00 to $315.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on AeroVironment from $325.00 to $250.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC lowered their price target on AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $325.17.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on AeroVironment
Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% during the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 7.8% in the third quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 498 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $157,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC boosted its stake in AeroVironment by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 4,046 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $979,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC grew its holdings in AeroVironment by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 3,709 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $897,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of AeroVironment by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $261,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Key Stories Impacting AeroVironment
Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:
- Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat argues the pullback creates a long‑term value entry: technical indicators show a near‑term bottom, institutional buying remains strong, and the firm highlights upside if AeroVironment executes on backlog and commercial expansion. AeroVironment Touches Down On Value Opportunity
- Positive Sentiment: BTIG lowered its price target but kept a "buy" rating (PT cut to $330), signaling some analysts still see meaningful upside despite the near‑term headwinds. BTIG Research price target note (Benzinga)
- Neutral Sentiment: Q3 results: revenue surged ~143% YoY to ~$408M but missed analyst revenue and EPS estimates; company provided FY2026 EPS guidance of $2.75–$3.10 (below consensus). The underlying growth is strong, but guidance disappointed. Q3 results and call
- Neutral Sentiment: Multiple firms trimmed price targets (KeyBanc, Stifel, RBC, UBS, others). Ratings mostly remain Overweight/Outperform/Buy but with lower target prices — a mixed signal for medium‑term sentiment. Analyst reactions and target cuts
- Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: shares plunged after the Q3 miss and outlook cut — investors punished short‑term visibility and growth assumptions. Shares plunge on Q3 miss
- Negative Sentiment: Contract risk: reports on potential SCAR/Space Force contract termination or timing disruptions ( ~$1.7B uncertainty) amplify revenue visibility concerns. SCAR contract uncertainty
- Negative Sentiment: Financing risk: AeroVironment disclosed a $727M notes issuance that raises leverage, tightens covenants and heightens liquidity risk — a material new risk for investors. Notes raise and leverage risk
- Negative Sentiment: Legal/insider signals: a Pomerantz investor probe was announced, and the CFO disclosed a sale of ~396 shares—both items add short‑term headline risk. Pomerantz investigation CFO Form 4
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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