AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 2.750-3.100 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 3.280. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.9 billion-$2.0 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $2.0 billion.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of AVAV traded down $5.72 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $221.57. 2,075,936 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,910,065. AeroVironment has a 52 week low of $102.25 and a 52 week high of $417.86. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $283.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $293.41. The firm has a market cap of $11.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -177.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.64 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a quick ratio of 4.29, a current ratio of 5.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.72 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.08% and a positive return on equity of 3.42%. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that AeroVironment will post 3.38 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AVAV has been the subject of several analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $486.00 to $429.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 target price on the stock. Raymond James Financial restated an “underperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Piper Sandler dropped their price target on AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $390.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, AeroVironment presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $348.33.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 879 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $267.60, for a total value of $235,220.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 16,422 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,394,527.20. This represents a 5.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total value of $50,184.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 4,589 shares of company stock valued at $1,428,910. 0.81% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ongoing product and capability expansion in counter‑UAS and RF/AI sensing positions AeroVironment to benefit from rising military demand for C‑UAS/ISR systems. How Is AeroVironment Expanding Its Counter-Drone Defense Capabilities?
• Positive Sentiment: Company commentary (TipRanks update) highlights management addressing a contract (SCAR) termination and outlining future opportunities — may calm some investor concerns about single‑contract risk. AeroVironment Addresses SCAR Termination and Future Opportunities
• Neutral Sentiment: Company filed its formal Q3 results and slide deck (official release) — provides the detailed numbers and management commentary for investors to review. Q3 Press Release / Slide Deck
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market commentary notes AeroVironment is a beneficiary of geopolitical tensions and increased interest in defense tech, which supports a positive medium‑term demand thesis despite near‑term noise. AeroVironment Earnings Will Be Key Amid Drone-Based Fighting
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 results missed expectations: EPS $0.64 vs. ~$0.72 consensus and revenue $408.1M vs. ~$488M consensus — the miss and lower margins explain immediate selling pressure. AeroVironment Stock Drops After Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Management cut FY‑2026 guidance to $2.75–$3.10 adj. EPS (prior $3.40–$3.55) and guided revenue to ~$1.9–$2.0B vs. Street expectations near $2.0B — the guidance shortfall is a primary reason the stock is down. AeroVironment Cuts Guidance, Says Timing Issues Hurt Results
• Negative Sentiment: Investor class‑action interest: Pomerantz announced an investigation into AVAV investors, which can add legal overhang and increase short‑term volatility. Pomerantz Investor Alert

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. United Services Automobile Association bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 1st quarter worth approximately $225,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter valued at $285,000. American Century Companies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter valued at $633,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of AeroVironment by 5,200.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 159 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 156 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in shares of AeroVironment by 0.4% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 24,188 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $6,892,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AeroVironment Company Profile

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.