Virtu Financial LLC Invests $1.17 Million in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 4,834 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,169,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AVAV. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of AeroVironment by 1.5% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,530,073 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,111,585,000 after purchasing an additional 51,959 shares in the last quarter. Groupama Asset Managment purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the third quarter worth approximately $314,890,000. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in AeroVironment by 8.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 884,395 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $213,956,000 after buying an additional 71,903 shares during the last quarter. Heard Capital LLC raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 48.4% during the fourth quarter. Heard Capital LLC now owns 722,150 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $174,681,000 after purchasing an additional 235,685 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 17.4% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 686,273 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $216,101,000 after buying an additional 101,713 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Negative Sentiment: A class action has been filed against AeroVironment, and multiple law firms are urging investors to come forward before the July 27 lead-plaintiff deadline, signaling ongoing legal overhang for the company. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Several additional firms issued nearly identical investor alerts on June 18-19, reinforcing concerns about the securities lawsuit and keeping litigation risk front and center for AVAV shareholders. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: One notice specifically references alleged securities fraud tied to the class period from June 25, 2025 through March 10, 2026, which may keep pressure on the stock until more clarity emerges. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: AeroVironment also announced an investor day in New York on July 8, which could help rebuild confidence if management provides a strong business outlook and strategic updates. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Separately, AVAV shares had recently moved higher than the broader market, suggesting some traders may still see value or expect a rebound despite the litigation headlines. Article Title

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AVAV shares. KeyCorp reduced their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $330.00 to $295.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $325.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AeroVironment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 7th. UBS Group dropped their target price on AeroVironment from $259.00 to $236.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut their target price on AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $318.78.

AeroVironment Price Performance

NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $169.61 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.47 billion, a PE ratio of -39.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.35. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $182.47 and a 200-day moving average of $231.10. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 52 week low of $156.00 and a 52 week high of $417.86. The company has a current ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total transaction of $43,602.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at $8,546,264.41. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 750 shares of company stock worth $133,502. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

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.