AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Price Down 3% on Insider Selling

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s stock price fell 3% on Wednesday following insider selling activity. The stock traded as low as $214.54 and last traded at $215.85. 1,421,604 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 28% from the average session volume of 1,972,088 shares. The stock had previously closed at $222.51.

Specifically, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total value of $42,504.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,231,340.88. This trade represents a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total transaction of $53,130.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 49,751 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,573,082.52. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on AVAV shares. BTIG Research dropped their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, January 12th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Needham & Company LLC cut their target price on AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $318.78.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Completed ESAero acquisition expands AVAV’s engineering, AS9100 manufacturing and hybrid/electric propulsion capabilities — strengthens defense/UAS product pipeline and manufacturing scale. AV Acquires Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc.
• Neutral Sentiment: Q3 FY2026 results showed 143% YoY revenue growth (helped by BlueHalo) but missed consensus on revenue and EPS — supports long‑term top-line growth thesis while the miss raises near-term execution questions. AeroVironment Reports $408M FQ3 2026 Revenue
• Neutral Sentiment: Small insider sales disclosed (CAO Brian Shackley, Director Stephen Page) — routine reductions, not large exits, but some investors interpret insider selling as a signal in the context of other negative headlines. Insider Selling Alerts
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary and industry write-ups are mixed — some highlight growth potential while others caution on margins/consensus misses; expect divergent price targets and ongoing analyst debate. Analysts Offer Insights on AVAV
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP opened an investor investigation into AVAV — new litigation inquiries increase headline risk and can pressure the stock while details evolve. Pomerantz Investor Alert
• Negative Sentiment: Another law firm (Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman) is soliciting investor inquiries — multiple firm solicitations amplify regulatory/legal overhang. Bronstein Securities Inquiry
• Negative Sentiment: Critical analyst/opinion pieces highlight risks from the ESAero deal (integration costs, margin pressure and “mounting losses”) — these narratives can multiply investor caution despite the strategic rationale. ESAero Deal Tests Growth Ambitions

AeroVironment Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a current ratio of 5.51. The stock has a market cap of $10.78 billion, a PE ratio of -49.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.69 and a beta of 1.26. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $277.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $292.13.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $487.94 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.26% and a negative net margin of 13.93%.AeroVironment’s quarterly revenue was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.30 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. Analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% during the 3rd quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new position in AeroVironment during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in AeroVironment during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

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.