AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Up 1.4% – Here’s Why

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) shares traded up 1.4% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $204.61 and last traded at $199.02. 1,049,516 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 46% from the average session volume of 1,939,224 shares. The stock had previously closed at $196.18.

Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James upgraded AeroVironment to Market Perform and other analysts published favorable notes, helping lift shares as investors respond to improved third?party outlooks. AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Raised to Market Perform at Raymond James Financial
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights AVAV’s expanding tactical UAS portfolio and upgrades that position the company to capture growing defense spending and drive long?term revenue growth — a structural tailwind for sales and margins. Can AeroVironment’s Tactical UAS Portfolio Drive Revenue Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment formally unveiled the LOCUST® X3 third?generation modular high?energy laser system (20–35+ kW, AI-enabled, modular integration), which expands its addressable market in counter?drone and directed?energy defense solutions. Corporate press release and coverage emphasize commercial relevance to militaries and critical?infrastructure operators. AV Unveils LOCUST® X3: Third-Generation Modular Directed Energy Weapon System
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple short?interest posts this week show nonsensical/zero values (0 shares, NaN changes, 0.0 days-to-cover), suggesting the reported short?interest data is erroneous or unreleased and should not be interpreted as a market signal. (No reliable link available)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of other drone/autonomy firms (e.g., an article referencing Ondas and Palantir links) could shift investor attention within the niche but is not directly about AVAV’s fundamentals. This Palantir-Linked Drone Stock Was Flying Under the Radar—Until Now
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the LOCUST X3 announcement, some headlines noted shares slipped or fell on the day of the release — indicating initial market skepticism, profit?taking, or that investors wanted concrete contracts/order announcements rather than a product reveal. AeroVironment (AVAV) Stock Drops Despite Unveiling Locust X3 Laser Defense System

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on AVAV. KeyCorp dropped their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $330.00 to $295.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Weiss Ratings cut AeroVironment from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Needham & Company LLC reduced 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. Finally, Zacks Research lowered AeroVironment from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $318.78.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $262.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $291.10. The firm has a market cap of $9.94 billion, a P/E ratio of -45.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a current ratio of 5.51.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total value of $377,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 51,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,258,997.62. The trade was a 1.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total value of $42,504.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,231,340.88. This trade represents a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 4,924 shares of company stock worth $1,486,038. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

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

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.