AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV Shares Sold by Van ECK Associates Corp

Van ECK Associates Corp lowered its position in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) by 10.9% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 612,915 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 75,062 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in AeroVironment were worth $101,174,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. NewEdge Wealth LLC boosted its stake in AeroVironment by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 3,709 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $897,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $261,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 29.7% in the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 188 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Family Legacy Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Family Legacy Inc. now owns 2,326 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $563,000 after buying an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 2,667 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $645,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.98, for a total value of $47,995.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 48,503 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,311,605.94. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 205 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total value of $41,381.30. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,592,271.68. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 705 shares of company stock worth $132,979 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $147.94 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $159.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $186.61. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 1-year low of $135.20 and a 1-year high of $417.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 4.30 and a quick ratio of 3.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -40.20, a PEG ratio of 5.05 and a beta of 1.41.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.37. The business had revenue of $641.62 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $555.97 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The business’s revenue was up 133.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.61 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. Analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.25 EPS for the current year.

AeroVironment News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment received a $51 million U.S. Army order for additional Switchblade 600 loitering munitions. The award reinforces demand for the company’s autonomous weapons systems and supports production expansion ahead of first-quarter earnings. AVAV Stock Rises Overnight: AeroVironment Pockets $51M Army Contract Ahead Of Q1 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory selected AeroVironment to co-design and co-manufacture three helicopters for the SkyFall Mars mission, potentially launching in 2028. The project broadens AVAV’s unmanned-systems expertise beyond defense and has moved into a formally funded science program. AeroVironment to co-manufacture helicopters for Mars with NASA
• Positive Sentiment: William Blair reiterated a Buy rating, citing strong loitering-munitions demand and the potential for an Army E-HEL laser contract to offset near-term revenue pressure. Analysts also point to AVAV’s multibillion-dollar backlog and international expansion as longer-term supports. Louie DiPalma Reiterates Buy on AeroVironment
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will present at the Jefferies Global Industrials Conference on September 10, giving investors a potential update on orders, production capacity and the outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares have declined from their 52-week peak and trade below both their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, signaling continued bearish momentum. Investors may also be concerned that AVAV’s high-growth outlook is already reflected in its valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity shows 11 sales and no purchases over six months, including sales by the CFO and other executives. That pattern can weigh on sentiment, although it does not necessarily indicate deteriorating business fundamentals.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $280.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AeroVironment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, July 5th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $225.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Wedbush assumed coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AeroVironment has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $266.68.

AeroVironment 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.