Legal & General Group Plc Purchases Shares of 42,499 AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm purchased 42,499 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,015,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sunbelt Securities Inc. bought a new stake in AeroVironment during the first quarter valued at $25,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 90.0% in the 4th quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 133 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MidFirst Bank bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Price Performance

AVAV stock opened at $145.39 on Thursday. 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, Inc. has a 52 week low of $135.20 and a 52 week high of $417.86. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $159.67 and its 200 day moving average is $183.86. The firm has a market cap of $7.39 billion, a P/E ratio of -39.51, a P/E/G ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 1.41.

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

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 205 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 in the company, valued at $1,592,271.68. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.98, for a total value of $47,995.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 48,503 shares in the company, valued at $9,311,605.94. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 705 shares of company stock valued at $132,979. 0.79% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on AVAV. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, June 8th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $225.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of AeroVironment from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $210.00 to $180.00 in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Wolfe Research cut shares of AeroVironment to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $266.68.

More AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment was awarded a $464.8 million production contract for the U.S. Army’s Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) program. The company will provide dozens of LOCUST X3 systems to strengthen counter-drone defenses, creating a significant source of revenue and validating its directed-energy technology. AeroVironment Wins $464.8 Million Army Enduring-High Energy Laser Contract
• Positive Sentiment: The award is described as the first-ever U.S. production contract for directed-energy systems, potentially positioning AeroVironment as an early leader in a strategically important defense market. The contract also supports the company’s broader autonomous and counter-unmanned-aircraft-systems growth strategy. AV’s LOCUST Selected for Nearly $500 Million Army Contract
• Positive Sentiment: William Blair reaffirmed a Buy rating, arguing that the Army award restores credibility and provides support for scalable growth. The endorsement may reinforce confidence following the stock’s substantial retreat from its 52-week high. AeroVironment Reaffirmed at Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are preparing for AeroVironment’s upcoming quarterly results, expected on September 9. The report should provide updates on demand, contract execution, revenue growth and profitability. AeroVironment Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cautioned that AeroVironment may not have the typical ingredients for an earnings beat, creating a near-term risk if results or guidance disappoint. AeroVironment Earnings Expectations

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.