Reliant Investment Management LLC Buys Shares of 22,180 AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Reliant Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 22,180 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,984,000. AeroVironment makes up 2.6% of Reliant Investment Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest holding.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 14.3% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,478,114 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $991,089,000 after acquiring an additional 433,830 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 678,431 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $193,342,000 after purchasing an additional 6,475 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 75.6% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 609,019 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $173,540,000 after buying an additional 262,239 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 16.4% in the second quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 531,122 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $151,309,000 after buying an additional 74,636 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 17.2% during the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 504,270 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $143,692,000 after buying an additional 73,963 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AeroVironment Price Performance

AVAV stock opened at $364.99 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $18.22 billion, a PE ratio of -291.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.39 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a current ratio of 5.08, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $282.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $286.13. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12-month low of $102.25 and a 12-month high of $417.86.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.43). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.08% and a positive return on equity of 3.42%. The firm had revenue of $472.51 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.16 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.47 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 150.7% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 513 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.46, for a total transaction of $170,038.98. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 18,811 shares in the company, valued at $6,235,094.06. The trade was a 2.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total value of $50,184.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,504,014.48. The trade was a 3.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 1,224 shares of company stock worth $347,651 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Major U.S. Army drone award flow and contract wins are being cited as the primary catalyst lifting sentiment and volumes; media coverage highlights a cluster of Army awards that materially improve AVAV’s addressable backlog and growth outlook. AeroVironment (AVAV) Is Up 31.7% After Major U.S. Army Drone Awards Has The Bull Case Changed?
• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler reaffirmed its Buy rating on AVAV, supporting investor confidence and reinforcing the bullish narrative from sell?side coverage. Piper Sandler Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on AeroVironment (AVAV)
• Positive Sentiment: Partner win: Parry Labs will integrate MOSA-aligned mission systems into AV’s P550 UAS for the Army’s Long Range Reconnaissance program, strengthening AVAV’s product competitiveness on key military programs. Parry Labs Advances Modular Mission Systems in AV’s P550™ for Army LRR Program
• Positive Sentiment: Recent Wall Street starts and upgrades (e.g., KeyBanc/other coverage) underline continued institutional interest in AVAV’s defense/leverage story. Where is AeroVironment (AVAV) Headed According to Wall Street?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market conversation on valuation: several commentaries ask whether the run (roughly +100% over 1 year) leaves AVAV overvalued, prompting some profit?taking and debate about upside from here. Is It Too Late To Consider AeroVironment (AVAV) After A 111% One-Year Surge?
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually large call-option activity was reported, indicating speculative or hedged bullish positioning that likely amplified intraday moves.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst caution and downgrades: at least one note argued AVAV is “flying too high” and trimmed ratings/targets, which could cap near-term upside if revisions accelerate. AeroVironment: This Drone Stock Is Flying Too High (Rating Downgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/investor risk: Pomerantz launched an investor investigation into AVAV, adding regulatory/legal overhang that could pressure sentiment if it develops. INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of Aerovironment, Inc. – AVAV
• Negative Sentiment: Fundamental caution: AVAV’s Dec. quarterly report missed EPS expectations (though revenue grew sharply) and the company trimmed prior guidance, a backdrop that some investors cite when judging sustainability of the rally.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on AVAV shares. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $415.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, November 24th. JMP Securities raised their price objective on AeroVironment from $325.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $390.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Bank of America started coverage on AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, September 18th. They set a “buy” rating and a $300.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $375.41.

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.