7,044 Shares in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV Acquired by Equitable Holdings Inc.

Equitable Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 7,044 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,163,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. F m Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $1,775,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter valued at about $94,655,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 289.9% during the 4th quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 222,055 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $53,714,000 after purchasing an additional 165,106 shares during the last quarter. MYDA Advisors LLC acquired a new position in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at about $3,628,000. Finally, BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in AeroVironment in the second quarter valued at about $574,566,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other AeroVironment news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 205 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total transaction of $41,381.30. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 7,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,592,271.68. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.98, for a total transaction of $47,995.00. Following the sale, the director owned 48,503 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,311,605.94. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 705 shares of company stock valued at $132,979 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment received a $51 million U.S. Army order for additional Switchblade 600 loitering munitions. The award reinforces demand for the company’s autonomous weapons systems and supports production expansion ahead of first-quarter earnings. AVAV Stock Rises Overnight: AeroVironment Pockets $51M Army Contract Ahead Of Q1 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory selected AeroVironment to co-design and co-manufacture three helicopters for the SkyFall Mars mission, potentially launching in 2028. The project broadens AVAV’s unmanned-systems expertise beyond defense and has moved into a formally funded science program. AeroVironment to co-manufacture helicopters for Mars with NASA
• Positive Sentiment: William Blair reiterated a Buy rating, citing strong loitering-munitions demand and the potential for an Army E-HEL laser contract to offset near-term revenue pressure. Analysts also point to AVAV’s multibillion-dollar backlog and international expansion as longer-term supports. Louie DiPalma Reiterates Buy on AeroVironment
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will present at the Jefferies Global Industrials Conference on September 10, giving investors a potential update on orders, production capacity and the outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares have declined from their 52-week peak and trade below both their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, signaling continued bearish momentum. Investors may also be concerned that AVAV’s high-growth outlook is already reflected in its valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity shows 11 sales and no purchases over six months, including sales by the CFO and other executives. That pattern can weigh on sentiment, although it does not necessarily indicate deteriorating business fundamentals.

AeroVironment Price Performance

AeroVironment stock opened at $147.94 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $159.76 and its 200 day simple moving average is $186.61. The company has a quick ratio of 3.59, a current ratio of 4.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a market cap of $7.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -40.20, a P/E/G ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.41. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12-month low of $135.20 and a 12-month high of $417.86.

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, topping the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $641.62 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $555.97 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.61 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 133.3% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AVAV has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of AeroVironment from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $210.00 to $180.00 in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Zacks Research raised AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $205.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $266.68.

About AeroVironment

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.