AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading 1.4% Higher – Here’s Why

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s share price was up 1.4% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $204.61 and last traded at $199.02. Approximately 1,049,516 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 46% from the average daily volume of 1,939,224 shares. The stock had previously closed at $196.18.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James upgraded AeroVironment to Market Perform and other analysts published favorable notes, helping lift shares as investors respond to improved third‑party outlooks. AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Raised to Market Perform at Raymond James Financial
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights AVAV’s expanding tactical UAS portfolio and upgrades that position the company to capture growing defense spending and drive long‑term revenue growth — a structural tailwind for sales and margins. Can AeroVironment’s Tactical UAS Portfolio Drive Revenue Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment formally unveiled the LOCUST® X3 third‑generation modular high‑energy laser system (20–35+ kW, AI-enabled, modular integration), which expands its addressable market in counter‑drone and directed‑energy defense solutions. Corporate press release and coverage emphasize commercial relevance to militaries and critical‑infrastructure operators. AV Unveils LOCUST® X3: Third-Generation Modular Directed Energy Weapon System
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple short‑interest posts this week show nonsensical/zero values (0 shares, NaN changes, 0.0 days-to-cover), suggesting the reported short‑interest data is erroneous or unreleased and should not be interpreted as a market signal. (No reliable link available)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of other drone/autonomy firms (e.g., an article referencing Ondas and Palantir links) could shift investor attention within the niche but is not directly about AVAV’s fundamentals. This Palantir-Linked Drone Stock Was Flying Under the Radar—Until Now
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the LOCUST X3 announcement, some headlines noted shares slipped or fell on the day of the release — indicating initial market skepticism, profit‑taking, or that investors wanted concrete contracts/order announcements rather than a product reveal. AeroVironment (AVAV) Stock Drops Despite Unveiling Locust X3 Laser Defense System

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently issued reports on AVAV shares. Weiss Ratings lowered AeroVironment from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. BTIG Research dropped their price target on AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of AeroVironment from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $318.78.

AeroVironment Trading Up 1.4%

The company has a current ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $262.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $291.10. The company has a market cap of $9.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -45.86, a PEG ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 1.26.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.26%. The firm had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.30 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total transaction of $377,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 51,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,258,997.62. This trade represents a 1.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total transaction of $42,504.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,231,340.88. The trade was a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,924 shares of company stock worth $1,486,038. 0.81% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in AeroVironment by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,530,073 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,111,585,000 after purchasing an additional 51,959 shares during the period. Groupama Asset Managment acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter valued at about $314,890,000. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 8.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 884,395 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $213,956,000 after buying an additional 71,903 shares during the period. Heard Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 48.4% in the fourth quarter. Heard Capital LLC now owns 722,150 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $174,681,000 after buying an additional 235,685 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 17.4% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 686,273 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $216,101,000 after buying an additional 101,713 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.