Stephen Page Sells 250 Shares of AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Director Stephen Page sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.27, for a total value of $38,067.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 48,253 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,347,484.31. The trade was a 0.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

AeroVironment Price Performance

AVAV opened at $159.95 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.13 billion, a PE ratio of -68.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.57 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 4.26 and a quick ratio of 3.33. The business’s 50-day moving average is $157.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $175.28. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 1 year low of $135.20 and a 1 year high of $417.86.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.77% and a positive return on equity of 4.04%. The business 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 firm posted $0.32 earnings per share. The company’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. Research analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AeroVironment News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment’s fiscal first-quarter results exceeded expectations, with revenue rising 5.7% year over year to $480.5 million and earnings of $0.59 per share versus the $0.22 consensus estimate. Management maintained fiscal 2027 EPS guidance of $3.02–$3.34. AeroVironment Earnings Call Highlights Growth Path
• Positive Sentiment: Funded backlog increased to approximately $1.5 billion from $1.2 billion at the end of April. Because these are firm, funded orders, the backlog offers revenue visibility and could support future guidance if converted on schedule. AeroVironment Has $1.5 Billion in Funded Backlog
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on AVAV’s expansion into a broader defense-technology platform spanning autonomous systems, counter-drone products and directed-energy technologies. The broader portfolio could increase contract opportunities and diversify growth. Broader Defense Technology Platform
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary is broadly bullish, but the positive outlook appears balanced against the stock’s elevated valuation and execution requirements. The market is also assessing whether AeroVironment can successfully integrate acquisitions and realize expected synergies. Analysts Are Bullish on AeroVironment
• Negative Sentiment: Recent analysis highlights the cancellation of the SCAR program and a material weakness in internal controls. These issues raise concerns about program execution, reporting reliability and the durability of the earnings outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Director Stephen Page and Chief Accounting Officer Brian Shackley sold a combined 350 shares at $152.27 under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans. The sales were small relative to their remaining holdings, but may add modest pressure to sentiment. AeroVironment Insider Sales

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $94,655,000. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $574,566,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 289.9% during the 4th quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 222,055 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $53,714,000 after purchasing an additional 165,106 shares during the period. MYDA Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,628,000. Finally, Korea Investment CORP acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter valued at $54,901,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have issued reports on AVAV shares. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $225.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Wolfe Research lowered AeroVironment to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on AeroVironment from $229.00 to $204.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Citizens Jmp restated a “market outperform” rating and set a $230.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $238.89.

About AeroVironment

AeroVironment, Inc is a defense technology company that develops and produces unmanned aircraft systems, loitering munitions, counter-unmanned aircraft systems and related robotic technologies. Its products are designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, precision strike, force protection and tactical communications applications.

The company’s portfolio includes the Raven, Puma and Wasp small unmanned aircraft systems; the JUMP 20 vertical takeoff and landing aircraft; and the Switchblade family of loitering munitions.