Key Points
- Director Stephen Page sold 250 shares on April 15 under a pre‑arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plan at an average price of $197.29 for about $49,322, a small 0.50% reduction that leaves him with ~49,501 shares (~$9.77M).
- AeroVironment won a $14.6M U.S. Army production contract for its VAPOR® CLE VTOL UAS and is broadening into space, directed energy and electronic warfare, which could boost near‑term revenue and access higher‑margin defense programs.
- Q1 results missed estimates (EPS $0.64 vs. $0.68 expected; revenue $408.05M vs. $487.94M expected) despite revenue rising 143% YoY, and the company set FY2026 guidance of 2.75–3.10 EPS with analysts' consensus at 2.94 and a consensus price target of $318.78 (rating: Moderate Buy).
AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) Director Stephen Page sold 250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.29, for a total transaction of $49,322.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 49,501 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,766,052.29. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
AeroVironment Stock Up 3.0%
Shares of AVAV opened at $197.23 on Tuesday. AeroVironment, Inc. has a one year low of $141.09 and a one year high of $417.86. The company has a market cap of $9.85 billion, a P/E ratio of -45.44, a P/E/G ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 5.51 and a quick ratio of 4.54. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $216.72 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $278.56.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.30 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter 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 forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 2.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of research firms have issued reports on AVAV. Needham & Company LLC decreased their target price on AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $389.00 to $315.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Citigroup restated a "market outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of AeroVironment from an "underperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of AeroVironment from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $318.78.
View Our Latest Stock Report on AVAV
Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment
A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,684,000. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 24.2% in the 1st quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 2,574 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $471,000 after purchasing an additional 501 shares during the period. AGP Franklin LLC lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 98.8% in the 1st quarter. AGP Franklin LLC now owns 6,496 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $1,189,000 after purchasing an additional 3,228 shares during the period. Brookstone Capital Management lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 14.1% in the 1st quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 2,414 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $442,000 after purchasing an additional 298 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 36.6% in the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 22,939 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $4,199,000 after purchasing an additional 6,152 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company's stock.
AeroVironment News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Won a $14.6M U.S. Army production contract for the VAPOR® Compact Long Endurance (CLE) VTOL UAS to support the Army’s Medium Range Reconnaissance program — a near‑term revenue and backlog driver. Army Selects AV's VAPOR® CLE for Medium Range Reconnaissance Program
- Positive Sentiment: Company narrative expanding beyond tactical UAS into space systems, directed energy, electronic warfare and secure communications — diversification that can open larger, higher‑margin defense programs over time. How Is AVAV Expanding Its Space and Directed Energy Capabilities?
- Positive Sentiment: Sector and media coverage positions AVAV at the intersection of drones and AI-enabled targeting, and it’s being included in “buy” and thematic lists for defense/AI investors — a positive for investor sentiment and potential demand. 3 Defense‑and‑Data Stocks at the Intersection of AI, Targeting, and Trump's Expanding Iran Defense Budget
- Neutral Sentiment: A company director, Stephen F. Page, sold 250 shares under a pre‑arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plan (small dollar amount relative to his holdings) — procedural insider liquidity, not a clear signal of deterioration. SEC Form 4 — Stephen F. Page
- Negative Sentiment: Short interest has grown materially, which could pressure the stock if sentiment or macro news turns negative and may increase volatility. AeroVironment, Inc. Sees Large Growth in Short Interest
AeroVironment Company Profile
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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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