AWM Investment Company Inc. Buys Shares of 146,908 AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Key Points

• AWM Investment Company acquired 146,908 AeroVironment shares worth approximately $24.25 million, giving it a 0.29% stake and making AVAV its 14th-largest holding. Institutional investors collectively own 86.38% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with AeroVironment receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $266.68, despite Stifel lowering its target to $220.
• AeroVironment reported quarterly EPS of $1.84 versus estimates of $1.47 and revenue of $641.62 million, up 133.3% year over year. The stock opened at $147.42, near its 12-month low of $135.20 and well below its $417.86 high.

AWM Investment Company Inc. acquired a new stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 146,908 shares of the aerospace company's stock, valued at approximately $24,250,000. AeroVironment accounts for 2.1% of AWM Investment Company Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. AWM Investment Company Inc. owned 0.29% of AeroVironment at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sunbelt Securities Inc. bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the first quarter worth $25,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the first quarter worth about $28,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 90.0% in the fourth quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 133 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 73.8% during the 4th quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 139 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.38% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on AVAV. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Zacks Research raised shares of AeroVironment from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. KeyCorp reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Citigroup restated a "market outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Clear Str raised AeroVironment to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AeroVironment has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $266.68.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.98, for a total value of $47,995.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 48,503 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,311,605.94. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through 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 stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,888 shares in the company, valued at $1,592,271.68. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 705 shares of company stock valued at $132,979. Corporate insiders own 0.79% of the company's stock.

AeroVironment Price Performance

NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $147.42 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $7.49 billion, a PE ratio of -40.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.04 and a beta of 1.41. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12 month low of $135.20 and a 12 month high of $417.86. The company has a quick ratio of 3.59, a current ratio of 4.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company's 50-day moving average price is $160.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $188.26.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $555.97 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.61 earnings per share. AeroVironment's quarterly revenue was up 133.3% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AeroVironment 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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