Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Decreases Stake in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp trimmed its holdings in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) by 55.4% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 54,593 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 67,733 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp’s holdings in AeroVironment were worth $17,191,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 60.0% in the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 296.0% in the second quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 99 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. RMG Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the second quarter valued at $28,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AVAV opened at $309.57 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 4.29, a current ratio of 5.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $287.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $294.39. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 52-week low of $102.25 and a 52-week high of $417.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.46 billion, a P/E ratio of -247.66, a P/E/G ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 1.16.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.43). The company had revenue of $472.51 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.16 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.42% and a negative net margin of 5.08%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 150.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.47 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG reiterated a Buy rating and keeps a $415 price target, signaling continued analyst conviction and providing upside vs. current levels. BTIG Reiterates Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Consensus broker coverage labels AVAV a “Moderate Buy,” which can support demand from momentum and institutional investors. Consensus “Moderate Buy”
• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment and CAL Analytics launched an operational BVLOS airspace management facility in partnership with the U.S. Air Force and Ohio DOT — a tangible program win that supports longer-term revenue and product relevance in autonomy/airspace management. BVLOS Facility Launch
• Positive Sentiment: Management will present at TD Cowen’s Aerospace & Defense Conference (February 11), providing an investor forum to clarify strategy, backlog and program cadence — often a catalyst for sentiment improvement if guidance or contracts are reiterated. TD Cowen Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles dig into AVAV’s valuation after volatile share swings — highlighting that rapid price moves have left valuation metrics stretched relative to fundamentals, which may temper some buyers. Valuation Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data in the feed is effectively nil/unstable and doesn’t indicate a meaningful short squeeze or cover pressure at present (data appears unreliable).
• Negative Sentiment: An article from The Motley Fool points to a U.S. Space Force decision that surprised investors and helped trigger a sharp pullback last week — illustrating that contract/program outcomes remain a headline risk for AVAV. Why Shares Got Crushed
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results (Dec. 9) included an EPS miss ($0.44 vs. $0.87 est.), which keeps near-term execution and margin recovery in focus despite strong year-over-year revenue growth and mid‑cycle guidance. (Background disclosure used for context.)

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AVAV has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on AeroVironment from $295.00 to $389.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 2nd. Zacks Research upgraded AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. JMP Securities increased their target price on AeroVironment from $325.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 target price for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AeroVironment presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $375.41.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total value of $377,620.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 51,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,258,997.62. This trade represents a 1.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total transaction of $367,232.40. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 17,301 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,359,847.60. This represents a 5.46% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 3,223 shares of company stock valued at $1,092,503 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.81% 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.