Empowered Funds LLC Makes New Investment in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor acquired 40,964 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,762,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. NewEdge Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of AeroVironment by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 3,709 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $897,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $261,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its stake in AeroVironment by 29.7% during the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 188 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Family Legacy Inc. grew its stake in AeroVironment by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Family Legacy Inc. now owns 2,326 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $563,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC grew its stake in AeroVironment by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 2,667 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $645,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AVAV has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 price target on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $280.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Wolfe Research cut shares of AeroVironment to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $266.68.

AeroVironment Price Performance

AVAV stock opened at $147.94 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $7.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -40.20, a PEG ratio of 5.05 and a beta of 1.41. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 1-year low of $135.20 and a 1-year high of $417.86. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $159.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $186.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 4.30 and a quick ratio of 3.59.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The company had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $555.97 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.61 EPS. The company’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. Research analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.25 EPS for the current year.

Trending Headlines about AeroVironment

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.

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.