AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Issues FY 2027 Earnings Guidance

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) issued an update on its FY 2027 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 3.020-3.340 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 3.210. The company issued revenue guidance of $2.1 billion-$2.2 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $2.2 billion.

AeroVironment Trading Down 5.4%

NASDAQ AVAV opened at $140.80 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 4.30, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $159.17 and a 200 day simple moving average of $179.83. AeroVironment has a 12 month low of $135.20 and a 12 month high of $417.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.16 billion, a P/E ratio of -38.26, a PEG ratio of 5.15 and a beta of 1.41.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.71% and a negative net margin of 9.00%.The company had revenue of $480.49 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.95 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.32 earnings per share. AeroVironment’s quarterly revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. On average, analysts predict that AeroVironment will post 3.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on AVAV shares. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, July 9th. William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Wedbush initiated coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AeroVironment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 5th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $255.47.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In related news, CAO Brian Shackley sold 205 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total transaction of $41,381.30. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 7,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,592,271.68. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Stephen Page sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.98, for a total value of $47,995.00. Following 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 705 shares of company stock valued at $132,979. 0.79% of the stock is owned by insiders.

More AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong earnings beat: Fiscal Q1 2027 adjusted EPS was $0.59, well above the $0.22 consensus estimate and up from $0.32 a year earlier. Revenue rose 5.7% to a record $480.5 million, exceeding analyst forecasts. AeroVironment Announces Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Backlog and bookings support visibility: Quarterly bookings reached approximately $700 million, producing a 1.4 book-to-bill ratio, while funded backlog climbed 37% year over year to a record $1.5 billion. Management said fiscal 2027 is off to a strong start. AVAV Stock Rebounds After-Hours on Record Sales and $1.5B Backlog
• Positive Sentiment: New growth opportunity in directed energy: Investors are responding to AeroVironment’s LOCUST high-energy laser counter-drone system, which management believes could become a major business and offers a low-cost-per-shot solution. The company also received its first international LOCUST order. AeroVironment Says Laser Weapons Could Become a Flagship Franchise
• Neutral Sentiment: Full-year outlook remains mixed: Fiscal 2027 EPS guidance of $3.02–$3.34 brackets the roughly $3.21 analyst consensus, while revenue guidance of about $2.1–$2.2 billion is near or slightly below expectations. This limits the impact of the quarterly beat on long-term estimates.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks remain: Despite the adjusted-profit beat, AeroVironment posted a GAAP net loss, and investors continue to question whether the company can convert its backlog into profitable growth. The stock’s elevated valuation and recent insider selling may add pressure. A law firm has also announced an investigation into the board, creating an additional overhang. Berger Montague Investigates AeroVironment Board

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $261,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 29.7% in the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 188 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 2,667 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $645,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. FIL Ltd lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 9,731 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $2,354,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. Finally, Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 30.4% in the 3rd quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA now owns 300 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.