AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV Shares Purchased by GW&K Investment Management LLC

GW&K Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) by 289.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 222,055 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after acquiring an additional 165,106 shares during the period. GW&K Investment Management LLC’s holdings in AeroVironment were worth $53,714,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Smithfield Trust Co acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Huntington National Bank boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 72.1% in the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 105 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total transaction of $42,504.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,794 shares in the company, valued at $1,231,340.88. The trade was a 3.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total value of $53,130.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 49,751 shares in the company, valued at $10,573,082.52. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 950 shares of company stock worth $185,534. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on AVAV. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Citizens Jmp lowered their price objective on AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price objective on AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $318.78.

Key Stories Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment expanded deployment of its connected-vehicle traffic information platform, which suggests ongoing commercial traction and product adoption. AeroVironment expands deployment of connected-vehicle traffic information platform
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed 0 shares reported as of June 9, so the update does not provide a meaningful trading signal.
• Negative Sentiment: Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP reminded investors of the July 27 lead-plaintiff deadline in the AVAV securities-fraud class action, keeping legal risk in focus. Deadline Alert: AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV) Shareholders Who Lost Money Urged To Contact Glancy Prongay Wolke Rotter LLP About Securities Fraud Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP said it filed a class action against AeroVironment and certain officers, reinforcing concerns about alleged securities-law violations. Pomerantz Law Firm Announces the Filing of a Class Action Against AeroVironment, Inc. and Certain Officers – AVAV
• Negative Sentiment: Additional law firms, including Bronstein Gewirtz & Grossman, Faruqi & Faruqi, The Gross Law Firm, Rosen, Robbins, Schall, DJS, and Levi & Korsinsky, continued promoting the AVAV shareholder lawsuit, amplifying the litigation headline risk.
• Negative Sentiment: The lawsuits reference corrective disclosures and alleged harm tied to the SCAR program collapse, which could raise concerns about operational execution and prior disclosures. AVAV Shareholder Alert: AeroVironment, Inc. Securities Class Action Lawsuit

AeroVironment Trading Down 4.4%

Shares of AeroVironment stock opened at $176.51 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $8.81 billion, a P/E ratio of -40.67, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.35. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $184.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $236.73. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 1-year low of $156.00 and a 1-year high of $417.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 5.51 and a quick ratio of 4.54.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.68 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.26% and a negative net margin of 13.93%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.30 earnings per share. Analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 2.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.