AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Up 5% – Still a Buy?

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) rose 5% on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $222.66 and last traded at $222.51. Approximately 1,701,724 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 14% from the average daily volume of 1,982,440 shares. The stock had previously closed at $211.88.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Completed acquisition of Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) for ~ $200M expands AVAV’s UAS manufacturing capacity, engineering depth, electric/hybrid propulsion and advanced air mobility product mix — a clear growth and capability driver for defense and commercial contracts. Drone-maker AeroVironment buys aerospace engineering firm ESAero in $200 million deal
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile media coverage of AVAV’s laser/defense tech (CBS 60 Minutes feature referenced in press) is boosting visibility and may support near-term demand and investor interest. AeroVironment Shows Lasers To Take Out Iran’s Drones. The Stock Is Rising.
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported FQ3 FY2026 revenue of $408.0M (up 143% YoY), largely driven by the BlueHalo acquisition which contributed ~$176.5M; strong top-line growth but the quarter missed consensus revenue and EPS estimates — mixed implications for valuation and near-term sentiment. AeroVironment (AVAV) Reports $408M FQ3 2026 Revenue and 143% Year-Over-Year Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported backlog growth (quarterly backlog cited as up materially YoY) supports multi-period revenue visibility, but integration execution and margin delivery will matter. AeroVironment (AVAV) Stock Gains Ground Following 60 Minutes Laser Defense Showcase
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 results missed Wall Street estimates (EPS and revenue) and the company’s FY2026 EPS guidance range (2.75–3.10) appears below some analyst models, creating short-term downside risk if execution or margin recovery lags. AeroVironment (AVAV) Reports $408M FQ3 2026 Revenue and 143% Year-Over-Year Growth
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG cut its price target to $330 from $415 (while keeping a Buy rating), signaling reduced near-term upside expectations after the quarter — a reminder analysts are re-pricing risk/reward. BTIG Cuts AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV)’s Price Target To $330, Maintains Buy Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Law firm Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman opened a securities inquiry, which can create legal/overhang risk and short-term volatility until resolved. Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC Encourages AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV) Investors to Inquire about Securities Investigation

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on AVAV. BTIG Research lowered their target price on AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $260.00 to $235.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “underperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $486.00 to $429.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $318.78.

AeroVironment Trading Up 5.0%

The company has a market cap of $11.11 billion, a PE ratio of -51.27, a PEG ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 1.26. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $279.28 and its 200 day moving average is $292.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 5.51 and a quick ratio of 4.54.

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

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total transaction of $377,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 51,001 shares in the company, valued at $19,258,997.62. This represents a 1.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total transaction of $367,232.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 17,301 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,359,847.60. This trade represents a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 4,474 shares of company stock worth $1,390,404 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% in the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new position in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its position in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% during the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.