Baillie Gifford & Co. Sells 603,868 Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Key Points

• Baillie Gifford cut its AeroVironment stake by 33.9%, selling 603,868 shares in Q4 and leaving it with 1,179,811 shares (a 2.36% stake) valued at about $285.4 million.
• Shares have plunged ~52% over the past three months amid rising costs, competition and funding concerns; the company also missed quarterly revenue and EPS estimates (revenue $408.05M vs. $487.94M consensus, EPS $0.64 vs. $0.68) and is facing an investor probe by Pomerantz.
• Analysts are mixed but lean positive: the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy" with a $318.78 target, even as several firms recently trimmed price targets (Needham, RBC, Jefferies).

Baillie Gifford & Co. lessened its position in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 33.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,179,811 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 603,868 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co. owned 2.36% of AeroVironment worth $285,384,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC boosted 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 valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% during the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Finally, KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total transaction of $42,504.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 5,794 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,231,340.88. This represents a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total transaction of $377,620.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 51,001 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $19,258,997.62. This represents a 1.92% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 3,725 shares of company stock worth $1,068,621 over the last three months. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AVAV has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of AeroVironment from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Needham & Company LLC dropped their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $325.00 to $250.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Citigroup reissued a "market outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $318.78.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AVAV opened at $179.72 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $224.78 and a 200 day moving average of $283.87. The company has a current ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -41.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 1.38. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12-month low of $137.41 and a 12-month high of $417.86.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 143.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.30 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Trending Headlines about AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Appointed Dr. Robert (Rob) Smith as Executive VP & Chief Operating Officer to oversee operations, manufacturing and key business units — a hiring investors see as aimed at improving execution and meeting rising defense demand. AV Appoints Dr. Robert Smith as Chief Operating Officer
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry context: analyses on the “economics of war” highlight that low-cost drones versus expensive countermeasures support longer‑term demand for systems like AVAV’s, but this is a structural argument rather than immediate revenue confirmation. The 3 Numbers You Need to Know About the Economics of War
• Negative Sentiment: Shares have plunged ~52% over the past three months amid investor concern about rising costs, intensifying competition and funding risks — a major driver of negative sentiment and valuation pressure. AVAV Stock Down 52.1% in 3 Months: Should Investors Be Concerned?
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish coverage: outlets have labeled AVAV a “Bear of the Day” and highlighted weak results and a steep downtrend, which can amplify short‑term selling pressure. Bear of the Day: AeroVironment (AVAV)
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risk: Pomerantz LLP announced an investor investigation into AeroVironment, creating potential litigation over disclosures that could be a material overhang. INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of AeroVironment, Inc. - AVAV
• Negative Sentiment: Sector/analyst caution: AVAV appears on lists of industrial stocks with warning signs, reinforcing concerns about execution, margins and capital needs despite defense tailwinds. 3 Industrials Stocks with Warning Signs

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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