Moran Wealth Management LLC Invests $4.18 Million in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Moran Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 22,824 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,178,000.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Groupama Asset Managment purchased a new position in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth $314,890,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth $94,655,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC increased its position in AeroVironment by 24,798.7% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 315,716 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $99,416,000 after buying an additional 314,448 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB increased its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 22,773.4% during the fourth quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 261,214 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $63,185,000 after acquiring an additional 260,072 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 4,770.1% in the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 260,207 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $62,941,000 after buying an additional 254,864 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on AeroVironment from $305.00 to $229.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $250.00 to $210.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Wedbush assumed coverage on AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday. They set an “outperform” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $295.00 to $220.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $277.37.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $190.89 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 4.30 and a quick ratio of 4.54. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 1 year low of $135.20 and a 1 year high of $417.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.66 billion, a PE ratio of -51.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.39. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $174.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $223.52.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.71% and a negative net margin of 9.00%.The company had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $555.97 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.61 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total value of $43,602.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at $8,546,264.41. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 750 shares of company stock valued at $133,502 in the last ninety days. 0.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment won a $500 million U.S. Army / Department of Defense contract for counter-drone systems, which traders see as a major validation of its anti-drone technology and a meaningful revenue opportunity. Why Is AeroVironment (AVAV) Stock Rocketing Higher Today
• Positive Sentiment: The company also recently posted blockbuster fiscal Q4 results, which reinforced the bullish view that demand for its drones and counter-drone systems is accelerating. AVAV Stock Skyrockets as AeroVironment Reports Blockbuster Q4 Earnings Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators are highlighting the company’s geopolitical tailwind from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and rising military demand for anti-drone tools, which supports the stock’s longer-term growth story. A Longlasting Russia-Ukraine War Creates a Catalyst to Buy AeroVironment Stock Now
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage sentiment has also improved, with Wedbush upgrading AVAV and Piper Sandler reiterating an overweight rating with a higher target, suggesting Wall Street sees more upside after the contract win. Wedbush upgrade news
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also unusual call-option buying in AVAV, which signals heightened trader interest but does not by itself change fundamentals. Traders Purchase Large Volume of AeroVironment Call Options (NASDAQ:AVAV)
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms announced securities-fraud class action deadlines tied to prior disclosures, adding legal noise and a potential liability overhang for investors. AVAV FINAL DEADLINE: ROSEN… Securities Class Action

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.