Silvant Capital Management LLC Takes Position in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Silvant Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 4,388 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,382,000.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% during the 3rd 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 acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its position in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AVAV has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 target price on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on AeroVironment from $389.00 to $315.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $390.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Citizens Jmp decreased their price objective on AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $325.17.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total transaction of $367,232.40. Following the completion of the sale, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total value of $50,184.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,474 shares of company stock worth $1,390,404. Corporate insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Trading Down 6.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $207.73 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $282.58 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $292.68. AeroVironment, Inc. has a one year low of $102.25 and a one year 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 stock has a market capitalization of $10.37 billion, a PE ratio of -47.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.26.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.72 by ($0.08). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.52%. The business had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.30 EPS. The company’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 forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AeroVironment News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ongoing defense demand and strategic positioning could support long‑term upside — analysts and commentary note strong secular demand for drones/C‑UAS and AeroVironment’s product set (Titan RF, counter‑drone tech) as a tailwind. KeyBanc Flags AeroVironment (AVAV) as Top Iran Conflict Winner
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat frames the pullback as a value opportunity given a still‑healthy balance sheet, backlog and institutional buying; this view supports a potential rebound if execution and contract clarity improve. AeroVironment Touches Down On Value Opportunity
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate insider activity — the CFO sold 396 shares (SEC filing). Small in size but worth noting for active traders who monitor insider transactions. SEC Form 4 – Kevin Patrick McDonnell
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 results missed expectations: revenue of ~$408M (vs. ~\$488M est.) and adjusted EPS of $0.64 missed consensus; management cut FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.75–$3.10 and trimmed revenue guidance — the core reason for the selloff. AeroVironment Shares Plunge on Q3 Miss and Weak Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Material contract uncertainty: reports highlight potential termination/uncertainty around the SCAR program and exposure tied to a ~$1.7B Space Force contract — a direct hit to revenue visibility. AeroVironment (AVAV) Stock Plunges 9% on Q3 Miss and $1.7B Contract Uncertainty
• Negative Sentiment: New debt issuance: AeroVironment disclosed $727M in notes which raises leverage, tightens covenants and increases liquidity risk — a balance‑sheet factor investors may view unfavorably while revenue visibility is reduced. AeroVironment’s $727 Million Notes Raise Leverage, Tighten Covenants and Heighten Liquidity Risk
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst targets and ratings were trimmed across multiple firms (Stifel, RBC, KeyBanc, UBS, others), reflecting reduced near‑term expectations and weighing on sentiment. Analyst Price Target Moves (Benzinga roundup)
• Negative Sentiment: Investor litigation alert: a law firm announced an investigation into shareholder claims, which adds legal/overhang risk. Pomerantz Investor Alert

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.