HighTower Advisors LLC Buys 2,114 Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

HighTower Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) by 32.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,723 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,114 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in AeroVironment were worth $2,747,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 93.8% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 124 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its position in AeroVironment by 9.2% during the 3rd quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 1,045 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $329,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the period. Cibc World Market Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 52.1% during the third quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 1,808 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $569,000 after buying an additional 619 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 50.5% in the third quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 99,619 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $31,369,000 after acquiring an additional 33,409 shares during the period. Finally, Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at about $583,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Price Performance

AeroVironment stock opened at $259.62 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a current ratio of 5.08. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 52 week low of $102.25 and a 52 week high of $417.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.96 billion, a P/E ratio of -207.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.85 and a beta of 1.23. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $287.56 and a 200-day moving average of $293.52.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AVAV has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Friday, January 30th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $390.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $367.00.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the business’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 sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. The trade was a 3.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 879 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $267.60, for a total transaction of $235,220.40. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 16,422 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,394,527.20. The trade was a 5.08% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 4,339 shares of company stock valued at $1,353,910. 0.81% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Stories 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 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.