AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV Stock Holdings Decreased by Generali Investments Management Co LLC

Generali Investments Management Co LLC lessened its stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) by 56.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,026 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 5,232 shares during the quarter. Generali Investments Management Co LLC’s holdings in AeroVironment were worth $1,268,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in AeroVironment by 14.3% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,478,114 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $991,089,000 after buying an additional 433,830 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $75,690,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 75.6% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 609,019 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $173,540,000 after acquiring an additional 262,239 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 550.7% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 178,204 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $56,115,000 after acquiring an additional 150,819 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 54.0% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 398,772 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $113,630,000 after purchasing an additional 139,880 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total value 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total transaction of $367,232.40. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 17,301 shares in the company, valued at $6,359,847.60. This trade represents a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 4,339 shares of company stock worth $1,353,910. 0.81% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on AVAV. KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of AeroVironment from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $400.00 target price on AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald dropped their price target on AeroVironment from $335.00 to $315.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $367.00.

Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: $186M U.S. Army delivery order for Switchblade systems — A $186 million delivery order for Switchblade 600 Block 2 and Switchblade 300 Block 20 loitering munitions strengthens AVAV’s government backlog and provides visible near‑term revenue and cash flow. AV Receives $186 Million U.S. Army Delivery Order for Next-Generation Switchblade Systems
• Positive Sentiment: Sector tailwinds and analyst bullishness — Coverage notes aerospace/defense is outperforming the market, institutional buying is strong, and analysts’ consensus price target (~$367) implies meaningful upside; MarketBeat also highlights record contract awards and revenue guidance that support growth expectations. Defense Stocks Are Soaring—AeroVironment’s Earnings Could Close the Gap
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism: multiple analysts see large upside — Coverage (24/7 Wall St.) highlights 17 analysts projecting substantial upside ahead of earnings, which can lift sentiment and buying interest into the report. 17 Analysts See 42% Upside in AeroVironment as March Earnings Approach
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile endorsement — Jim Cramer called AVAV “a very good company, very well‑run,” which can boost retail sentiment and intraday buying. Jim Cramer on AeroVironment: “A Very Good Company, Very Well-Run”
• Neutral Sentiment: Stock movement vs. market — Several trade notes report AVAV advanced while the broader market declined; useful for short‑term momentum but not a fundamental driver. AeroVironment (AVAV) Advances While Market Declines
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data appears unreliable in recent feeds (reported as zeros); no clear short squeeze signal from available data.
• Negative Sentiment: Margin and execution headwinds remain — Coverage highlights compressed gross margins (mid‑20s in a recent quarter), one‑time Oracle implementation costs, revenue mix shifts after the BlueHalo acquisition, and a prior EPS miss — these factors keep upside contingent on margin recovery. Defense Stocks Are Soaring—AeroVironment’s Earnings Could Close the Gap
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish takes and “avoid” articles — Some pieces outline reasons to avoid AVAV (valuation sensitivity, recent share weakness, and execution risk), which can weigh on sentiment into earnings. 3 Reasons to Avoid AVAV and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

AeroVironment Trading Up 1.7%

AeroVironment stock opened at $259.62 on Friday. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 52-week low of $102.25 and a 52-week high of $417.86. The company has a quick ratio of 4.29, a current ratio of 5.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -207.70, a PEG ratio of 3.85 and a beta of 1.23. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $287.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $293.52.

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

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.