SG Americas Securities LLC Boosts Stake in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) by 858.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 8,628 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,728 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in AeroVironment were worth $2,717,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. ORG Partners LLC grew 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 valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. RMG Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its position in AeroVironment by 60.3% in the 2nd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 117 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in AeroVironment by 5,200.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 159 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the period. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the second quarter worth about $46,000. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AVAV has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on AeroVironment from $440.00 to $400.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 8th. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday. Finally, Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $400.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $375.41.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $363.86 on Wednesday. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12 month low of $102.25 and a 12 month high of $417.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 5.08 and a quick ratio of 4.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.17 billion, a PE ratio of -291.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.47 and a beta of 1.16. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $282.03 and its 200 day moving average price is $287.79.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total value of $367,232.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 17,301 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,359,847.60. The trade was a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total transaction of $50,184.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,504,014.48. This represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 2,223 shares of company stock worth $714,883. 0.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: U.S. Army contract wins, new partnerships (e.g., Parry Labs) and broader social‑media buzz around defense revenue visibility have lifted investor optimism and helped push the shares sharply higher in recent weeks; institutional accumulation and many buy ratings underpin upside expectations. AeroVironment Stock (AVAV) Opinions on U.S. Army Contract Wins
• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment’s subsidiary VideoRay launched the Mission Specialist Wraith unmanned underwater vehicle — a new product that expands the company’s all‑domain autonomous systems offering and can open additional government and commercial revenue streams. Mission Specialist Wraith Signals AeroVironment’s Next Step in Compact Unmanned Underwater Systems Capability
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage and upward price targets (median ~$391, several high targets above $400) plus strong quarterly revenue growth have supported momentum — recent writeups note a ~55% one‑month surge as investors price in defense spending tailwinds. AVAV Outperforms Industry in the Past Month: How to Play the Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Headline coverage noting recent outperformance and a modest daily gain (+1.6% on Jan. 12) highlights the stock’s short‑term strength but is not new fundamental news. AeroVironment (AVAV) Outperforms Broader Market: What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Contrarian commentary (e.g., Motley Fool piece recommending another drone stock ahead of AVAV) may temper some retail enthusiasm but is not a direct company development. 1 Stock I’d Buy Before AeroVironment in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP says it is investigating claims on behalf of AeroVironment investors — a potential class‑action probe that raises legal/financial risk and can weigh on sentiment until resolved. INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of Aerovironment, Inc. – AVAV
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling continues to appear in filings — most recently CFO Kevin McDonnell sold 999 shares at ~$367.60 — and publicized recurring insider sales can fuel profit‑taking or worry some investors about timing. SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose in December to roughly 3.14M shares (≈6.3% of float) — elevated shorting can increase downward pressure in the near term, though it also raises the potential for squeezes during volatility.

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.