AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Up 5% – Here’s Why

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s share price shot up 5% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $222.66 and last traded at $222.51. 1,701,724 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 14% from the average session volume of 1,982,440 shares. The stock had previously closed at $211.88.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Completed acquisition of Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) for ~ $200M expands AVAV’s UAS manufacturing capacity, engineering depth, electric/hybrid propulsion and advanced air mobility product mix — a clear growth and capability driver for defense and commercial contracts. Drone-maker AeroVironment buys aerospace engineering firm ESAero in $200 million deal
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile media coverage of AVAV’s laser/defense tech (CBS 60 Minutes feature referenced in press) is boosting visibility and may support near-term demand and investor interest. AeroVironment Shows Lasers To Take Out Iran’s Drones. The Stock Is Rising.
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported FQ3 FY2026 revenue of $408.0M (up 143% YoY), largely driven by the BlueHalo acquisition which contributed ~$176.5M; strong top-line growth but the quarter missed consensus revenue and EPS estimates — mixed implications for valuation and near-term sentiment. AeroVironment (AVAV) Reports $408M FQ3 2026 Revenue and 143% Year-Over-Year Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported backlog growth (quarterly backlog cited as up materially YoY) supports multi-period revenue visibility, but integration execution and margin delivery will matter. AeroVironment (AVAV) Stock Gains Ground Following 60 Minutes Laser Defense Showcase
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 results missed Wall Street estimates (EPS and revenue) and the company’s FY2026 EPS guidance range (2.75–3.10) appears below some analyst models, creating short-term downside risk if execution or margin recovery lags. AeroVironment (AVAV) Reports $408M FQ3 2026 Revenue and 143% Year-Over-Year Growth
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG cut its price target to $330 from $415 (while keeping a Buy rating), signaling reduced near-term upside expectations after the quarter — a reminder analysts are re-pricing risk/reward. BTIG Cuts AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV)’s Price Target To $330, Maintains Buy Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Law firm Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman opened a securities inquiry, which can create legal/overhang risk and short-term volatility until resolved. Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC Encourages AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV) Investors to Inquire about Securities Investigation

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AVAV has been the topic of several recent research reports. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price objective on AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. BTIG Research reduced their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $389.00 to $315.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $318.78.

AeroVironment Trading Up 5.0%

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $279.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $292.26. The stock has a market cap of $11.11 billion, a P/E ratio of -51.27, a P/E/G ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a current ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.68 by ($0.04). AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.26% and a negative net margin of 13.93%.The firm had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $487.94 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.30 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 143.4% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total value of $377,620.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 51,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,258,997.62. This represents a 1.92% decrease in their position. The transaction 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 firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total transaction 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 approximately $1,504,014.48. The trade was a 3.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 4,474 shares of company stock worth $1,390,404. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 60.0% during the 3rd quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment in the third quarter worth $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% during the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AeroVironment Company 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.