Stephens Investment Management Group LLC Increases Holdings in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Stephens Investment Management Group LLC boosted its stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) by 18.8% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 490,426 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after buying an additional 77,619 shares during the quarter. AeroVironment accounts for approximately 1.2% of Stephens Investment Management Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC’s holdings in AeroVironment were worth $89,772,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Tema Etfs LLC acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 90.0% during the 4th quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 133 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 63 shares during the period. Finally, Huntington National Bank raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 72.1% during the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 105 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AVAV has been the topic of several recent research reports. Clear Str raised AeroVironment to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, June 8th. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $295.00 to $220.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $248.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $277.37.

More AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment won a $500 million U.S. Army / Department of Defense contract for counter-drone systems, which traders see as a major validation of its anti-drone technology and a meaningful revenue opportunity. Why Is AeroVironment (AVAV) Stock Rocketing Higher Today
• Positive Sentiment: The company also recently posted blockbuster fiscal Q4 results, which reinforced the bullish view that demand for its drones and counter-drone systems is accelerating. AVAV Stock Skyrockets as AeroVironment Reports Blockbuster Q4 Earnings Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators are highlighting the company’s geopolitical tailwind from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and rising military demand for anti-drone tools, which supports the stock’s longer-term growth story. A Longlasting Russia-Ukraine War Creates a Catalyst to Buy AeroVironment Stock Now
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage sentiment has also improved, with Wedbush upgrading AVAV and Piper Sandler reiterating an overweight rating with a higher target, suggesting Wall Street sees more upside after the contract win. Wedbush upgrade news
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also unusual call-option buying in AVAV, which signals heightened trader interest but does not by itself change fundamentals. Traders Purchase Large Volume of AeroVironment Call Options (NASDAQ:AVAV)
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms announced securities-fraud class action deadlines tied to prior disclosures, adding legal noise and a potential liability overhang for investors. AVAV FINAL DEADLINE: ROSEN… Securities Class Action

AeroVironment Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $190.89 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a current ratio of 4.30. AeroVironment, Inc. has a one year low of $135.20 and a one year high of $417.86. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $174.86 and its 200 day simple moving average is $223.52. The stock has a market cap of $9.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -51.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.39.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.71% and a negative net margin of 9.00%.The firm had revenue of $641.62 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $555.97 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.61 earnings per share. AeroVironment’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. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total transaction of $43,602.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 750 shares of company stock valued at $133,502. Corporate insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

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.