AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Releases FY 2027 Earnings Guidance

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) issued an update on its FY 2027 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 3.020-3.340 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 3.210. The company issued revenue guidance of $2.1 billion-$2.2 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $2.2 billion.

AeroVironment Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AVAV opened at $147.07 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 4.30, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $158.30 and its 200 day moving average price is $179.00. AeroVironment has a 52 week low of $135.20 and a 52 week high of $417.86. The stock has a market cap of $7.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -62.85, a PEG ratio of 4.87 and a beta of 1.41.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.77% and a positive return on equity of 4.06%. The company had revenue of $480.49 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.95 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.32 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that AeroVironment will post 3.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on AVAV shares. Piper Sandler dropped their price target on AeroVironment from $248.00 to $235.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Friday, September 4th. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $450.00 to $225.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $249.89.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.98, for a total value of $47,995.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 48,503 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,311,605.94. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Brian Shackley sold 205 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total value of $41,381.30. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 7,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,592,271.68. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 705 shares of company stock valued at $132,979. Company insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong earnings beat: Fiscal Q1 FY2027 revenue rose 5.7% year over year to a record $480.5 million, exceeding estimates near $452 million. Adjusted EPS of $0.59 was well above the roughly $0.22 consensus and increased from $0.32 a year earlier. AeroVironment Announces Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Backlog and bookings support visibility: Funded backlog reached a record $1.5 billion, up 37% year over year, while quarterly bookings totaled approximately $700 million and the book-to-bill ratio was 1.4. Management said fiscal 2027 is off to a strong start, supporting expectations for a second-half production ramp.
• Positive Sentiment: International LOCUST milestone: AeroVironment received its first international commercial order for the LOCUST directed-energy counter-drone system, valued at more than $50 million. The deal expands the product’s addressable market and reinforces investor enthusiasm for laser-based defense technology. AV Secures First International Order for LOCUST Directed Energy Counter-Drone Systems
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: JPMorgan raised its price target to $210 and maintained an Overweight rating, while Citizens JMP, Needham and BTIG reaffirmed positive ratings with targets ranging from $205 to $230. The revisions reflect confidence in demand for drones, counter-drone systems and LOCUST.
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance was maintained: Fiscal 2027 revenue guidance remains $2.125 billion to $2.225 billion, with adjusted EPS guidance of $3.02 to $3.34. Maintaining the outlook reduces downside uncertainty, although the revenue midpoint is slightly below analyst expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and valuation risks remain: Revenue growth is moderating, the company reported a GAAP net loss, and analysts continue to question profit conversion and production execution. The stock’s elevated valuation and recent institutional selling could limit further gains if future results do not sustain the current backlog momentum.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. National Bank of Canada FI grew its position in AeroVironment by 230.3% during the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 109 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the period. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise purchased a new position in AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at approximately $44,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in AeroVironment by 5,200.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 159 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its stake in AeroVironment by 29.7% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 188 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Company Profile

AeroVironment, Inc is a defense technology company that develops and produces unmanned aircraft systems, loitering munitions, counter-unmanned aircraft systems and related robotic technologies. Its products are designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, precision strike, force protection and tactical communications applications.

The company’s portfolio includes the Raven, Puma and Wasp small unmanned aircraft systems; the JUMP 20 vertical takeoff and landing aircraft; and the Switchblade family of loitering munitions.