Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Buys 9,181 Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 221,502 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after buying an additional 9,181 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in AeroVironment were worth $69,749,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AVAV. New York State Teachers Retirement System lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 18.0% in the third quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 20,383 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $6,418,000 after buying an additional 3,116 shares in the last quarter. Reliant Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $6,984,000. Forum Financial Management LP raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 18.1% during the 3rd quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 829 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $261,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 48.5% during the 3rd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 147 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Price Performance

AeroVironment stock opened at $381.80 on Thursday. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12-month low of $102.25 and a 12-month high of $417.86. The company has a current ratio of 5.08, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $282.66 and a 200-day moving average price of $288.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.06 billion, a PE ratio of -305.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.37 and a beta of 1.16.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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). The firm had revenue of $472.51 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $466.16 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.42% and a negative net margin of 5.08%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 150.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.47 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on AVAV shares. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $267.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $295.00 to $389.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $400.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $400.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, AeroVironment presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $375.41.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: U.S. Army contract wins and social‑media buzz are cited as the main drivers of recent momentum — investors are pricing in expanded military revenue visibility and upside from defense budget tailwinds. AeroVironment Stock (AVAV) Opinions on U.S. Army Contract Wins
• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment’s VideoRay subsidiary launched the compact Mission Specialist Wraith unmanned underwater vehicle — a new product that expands the company’s all‑domain autonomous systems addressable market (government and commercial). Mission Specialist Wraith Signals AeroVironment’s Next Step in Compact Unmanned Underwater Systems Capability
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains largely bullish (median targets near ~$391, several >$400) and institutional investors have been adding sizable positions — these factors support further upside if contract execution and revenue growth continue. AVAV Market Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Q2 revenue surged (~150% y/y) and management issued FY‑2026 EPS guidance; however the recent quarter missed EPS consensus — fundamentals are mixed and execution vs. guidance will matter for next moves. AVAV Earnings & Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP announced an investigation into AeroVironment investor claims — potential class‑action exposure raises legal/financial risk and could weigh on sentiment until clarified. INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of Aerovironment, Inc. – AVAV
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling is visible and recurring — most recently CFO Kevin McDonnell sold 999 shares (~$367.60 average). Ongoing executive sales can prompt profit‑taking or raise questions about near‑term outlook. AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) CFO Sells $367,232.40 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose in December (~6.3% of float) — this can add downward pressure during negative news cycles (though it also increases volatility and squeeze potential).

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In related news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $50,184.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total value of $367,232.40. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 17,301 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,359,847.60. The trade was a 5.46% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 2,223 shares of company stock worth $714,883. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

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.