GTS Securities LLC Invests $876,000 in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

GTS Securities LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 5,304 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $876,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AVAV. United Services Automobile Association bought a new position in AeroVironment in the 1st quarter worth about $225,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the second quarter valued at approximately $285,000. American Century Companies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the second quarter valued at approximately $633,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 5,200.0% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 159 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 0.4% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 24,188 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $6,892,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

AVAV stock opened at $147.94 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $7.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -40.20, a PEG ratio of 5.05 and a beta of 1.41. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $159.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $186.61. AeroVironment, Inc. has a one year low of $135.20 and a one year high of $417.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a current ratio of 4.30.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.37. The firm had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $555.97 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 133.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.61 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 205 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total transaction of $41,381.30. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,592,271.68. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total value of $43,602.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 49,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. This represents a 0.51% 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 705 shares of company stock worth $132,979. Insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on AVAV. Citizens Jmp reduced their price objective on AeroVironment from $350.00 to $230.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 10th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded AeroVironment from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $210.00 to $180.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded AeroVironment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $266.68.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment received a $51 million U.S. Army order for additional Switchblade 600 loitering munitions. The award reinforces demand for the company’s autonomous weapons systems and supports production expansion ahead of first-quarter earnings. AVAV Stock Rises Overnight: AeroVironment Pockets $51M Army Contract Ahead Of Q1 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory selected AeroVironment to co-design and co-manufacture three helicopters for the SkyFall Mars mission, potentially launching in 2028. The project broadens AVAV’s unmanned-systems expertise beyond defense and has moved into a formally funded science program. AeroVironment to co-manufacture helicopters for Mars with NASA
• Positive Sentiment: William Blair reiterated a Buy rating, citing strong loitering-munitions demand and the potential for an Army E-HEL laser contract to offset near-term revenue pressure. Analysts also point to AVAV’s multibillion-dollar backlog and international expansion as longer-term supports. Louie DiPalma Reiterates Buy on AeroVironment
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will present at the Jefferies Global Industrials Conference on September 10, giving investors a potential update on orders, production capacity and the outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares have declined from their 52-week peak and trade below both their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, signaling continued bearish momentum. Investors may also be concerned that AVAV’s high-growth outlook is already reflected in its valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity shows 11 sales and no purchases over six months, including sales by the CFO and other executives. That pattern can weigh on sentiment, although it does not necessarily indicate deteriorating business fundamentals.

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.