Alyeska Investment Group L.P. Has $86.69 Million Stake in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Alyeska Investment Group L.P. reduced its stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 27.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 525,195 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 196,241 shares during the quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. owned 1.03% of AeroVironment worth $86,694,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AVAV. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 28.7% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 70,266 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $11,599,000 after purchasing an additional 15,650 shares in the last quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the second quarter worth about $33,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 60.1% during the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 22,294 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $3,615,000 after buying an additional 8,369 shares in the last quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the second quarter worth about $1,369,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $6,762,000. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AeroVironment News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment received a $51 million U.S. Army order for additional Switchblade 600 loitering munitions. The award reinforces demand for the company’s autonomous weapons systems and supports production expansion ahead of first-quarter earnings. AVAV Stock Rises Overnight: AeroVironment Pockets $51M Army Contract Ahead Of Q1 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory selected AeroVironment to co-design and co-manufacture three helicopters for the SkyFall Mars mission, potentially launching in 2028. The project broadens AVAV’s unmanned-systems expertise beyond defense and has moved into a formally funded science program. AeroVironment to co-manufacture helicopters for Mars with NASA
• Positive Sentiment: William Blair reiterated a Buy rating, citing strong loitering-munitions demand and the potential for an Army E-HEL laser contract to offset near-term revenue pressure. Analysts also point to AVAV’s multibillion-dollar backlog and international expansion as longer-term supports. Louie DiPalma Reiterates Buy on AeroVironment
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will present at the Jefferies Global Industrials Conference on September 10, giving investors a potential update on orders, production capacity and the outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares have declined from their 52-week peak and trade below both their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, signaling continued bearish momentum. Investors may also be concerned that AVAV’s high-growth outlook is already reflected in its valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity shows 11 sales and no purchases over six months, including sales by the CFO and other executives. That pattern can weigh on sentiment, although it does not necessarily indicate deteriorating business fundamentals.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other 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 value of $43,602.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 49,001 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,546,264.41. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 205 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total value of $41,381.30. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,888 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,592,271.68. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 705 shares of company stock worth $132,979. Company insiders own 0.79% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on AVAV shares. Citigroup reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $248.00 to $235.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Citizens Jmp reduced their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $350.00 to $230.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 10th. Zacks Research raised shares of AeroVironment from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $266.68.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of AVAV stock opened at $147.94 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $159.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $186.61. AeroVironment, Inc. has a one year low of $135.20 and a one year high of $417.86. The stock has a market cap of $7.52 billion, a P/E ratio of -40.20, a P/E/G ratio of 5.05 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 4.30 and a quick ratio of 3.59.

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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The company had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $555.97 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.61 EPS. AeroVironment's revenue for the quarter was up 133.3% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.25 EPS for the current year.

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.

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