AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV Shares Acquired by Canal Insurance CO

Key Points

• Canal Insurance CO increased its AeroVironment stake by 16.7% in the first quarter, buying 10,000 more shares and bringing its total to 70,000 shares worth about $12.8 million.
• Several analysts remain constructive on the stock, with firms like Piper Sandler, Citigroup, KeyCorp, UBS, and Raymond James issuing mostly bullish or supportive ratings. The consensus rating is Moderate Buy, with an average price target of $266.68.
• AeroVironment reported strong quarterly results, including EPS of $1.84 versus the $1.47 estimate and revenue of $641.62 million, up 133.3% year over year. The company also noted that Italy’s defense ministry gave its JUMP 20 unmanned aircraft system an official military designation, which could aid future sales.

Canal Insurance CO lifted its position in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 16.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 70,000 shares of the aerospace company's stock after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares during the quarter. AeroVironment comprises 2.8% of Canal Insurance CO's holdings, making the stock its 12th largest position. Canal Insurance CO owned approximately 0.14% of AeroVironment worth $12,814,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in AeroVironment during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Tema Etfs LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 230.3% in the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 109 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.38% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on AeroVironment from $248.00 to $235.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Citigroup reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Friday. KeyCorp lowered their price objective on AeroVironment from $295.00 to $220.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Raymond James Financial raised shares of AeroVironment from an "underperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $266.68.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total transaction of $43,602.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at $8,546,264.41. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 750 shares of company stock valued at $133,502. 0.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment announced that Italy’s Ministry of Defence granted its JUMP® 20 unmanned aircraft system the MQ-31A military designation, confirming the platform as an official military capability for the Italian Army. This could support future international sales and validates the product’s defense relevance. Article: AV Receives MQ-31A Designation from Italian Ministry of Defence (MoD)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary says the stock is falling as investors rotate away from growth and defense-tech names, with traders also watching technical support levels. Article: Why Is AeroVironment Stock Falling Monday?
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple law firms issued reminders about a July 27 lead-plaintiff deadline in an existing securities class action tied to alleged misstatements and contract-related disclosures. These notices mainly add uncertainty and keep legal risk in focus for investors. Article: AVAV Deadline: AVAV Investors with Losses in Excess of $100K Have Opportunity to Lead AeroVironment, Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: The securities-fraud allegations specifically cite concerns about AeroVironment’s reliance on a single-vendor bespoke contract and the later shift to multi-vendor commercial solutions, which may hurt investor confidence and keep the stock under pressure. Article: AVAV Shareholder Alert: AeroVironment, Inc. Securities Class Action Lawsuit - Investors Should Contact Levi & Korsinsky

AeroVironment Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $141.80 on Tuesday. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12 month low of $135.20 and a 12 month high of $417.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.18 billion, a P/E ratio of -38.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 4.30 and a quick ratio of 3.59. The company's fifty day moving average price is $170.20 and its 200 day moving average price is $219.76.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.37. The company had revenue of $641.62 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $555.97 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. AeroVironment's revenue for the quarter was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.61 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.

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