Marshall Wace LLP Acquires 23,520 Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)

Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) by 2,077.7% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 24,652 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after buying an additional 23,520 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP’s holdings in AeroVironment were worth $3,794,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Modus Advisors LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Colonial Trust Advisors purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 1,515.4% during the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 210 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 197 shares during the period. Finally, Bogart Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ AVAV opened at $149.59 on Friday. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12-month low of $102.25 and a 12-month high of $236.60. The stock has a market cap of $4.22 billion, a PE ratio of 85.97 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a current ratio of 4.61, a quick ratio of 3.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The company has a 50-day moving average of $135.45 and a 200 day moving average of $167.95.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on AVAV. Raymond James upgraded AeroVironment from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $200.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on AeroVironment from $220.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on AeroVironment from $230.00 to $190.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $202.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In related news, CEO Wahid Nawabi sold 29,366 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.20, for a total value of $3,764,721.20. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 115,174 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,765,306.80. This represents a 20.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 1.27% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

AeroVironment Company Profile

AeroVironment, Inc designs, develops, produces, delivers, and supports a portfolio of robotic systems and related services for government agencies and businesses in the United States and internationally. It operates through Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS), Tactical Missile System (TMS), Medium Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MUAS), and High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite Systems (HAPS) segments.