Black Swift Group LLC Reduces Stock Position in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Key Points

• Black Swift Group LLC cut its AeroVironment stake by 43.3% in the fourth quarter, selling 5,350 shares and leaving it with 7,000 shares worth about $1.69 million.
• AeroVironment’s latest quarter missed Wall Street estimates, with EPS of $0.64 versus $0.68 expected and revenue of $408.05 million versus $487.94 million expected, even though sales rose 143.4% year over year.
• Despite the earnings miss, the stock has drawn attention from new government contracts and analyst coverage; the company recently won a $20 million Air Force/Space Force contract and a $43 million SkyRange deal, while analysts currently rate it a Moderate Buy with a $318.78 average target.

Black Swift Group LLC lessened its holdings in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 43.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,000 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 5,350 shares during the quarter. Black Swift Group LLC's holdings in AeroVironment were worth $1,693,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AVAV. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new position in AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its holdings 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 during the last quarter. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Smithfield Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.38% of the company's stock.

AeroVironment Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $207.24 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 4.54, a current ratio of 5.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company has a market cap of $10.35 billion, a P/E ratio of -47.75, a PEG ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 1.35. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 52 week low of $156.00 and a 52 week high of $417.86. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $185.32 and a 200 day moving average price of $241.89.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.68 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 previous year, the business earned $0.30 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. Research analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.55, for a total transaction of $88,921.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 16,026 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,598,638.30. This trade represents a 2.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.31, for a total transaction of $40,577.50. Following the sale, the director owned 49,251 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,993,929.81. The trade was a 0.51% 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 sold 1,346 shares of company stock worth $274,456. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AVAV has been the topic of several research reports. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of AeroVironment from an "underperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $259.00 to $236.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of AeroVironment from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, BTIG Research decreased their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $318.78.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AVAV is benefiting from renewed investor enthusiasm for U.S. drone stocks after reports said the Trump administration is exploring funding deals, and possibly deeper government support, for domestic drone manufacturers. Drone Stocks Surge As Unusual Machines Jumps 57% On Funding Talks
• Positive Sentiment: The company announced a $20 million U.S. Air Force and Space Force contract, reinforcing demand for its defense technology and helping drive the recent rally. AV Awarded $20 Million Contract to Advance Ceramic Materials Research for the U.S. Air Force and Space Force
• Positive Sentiment: Investors also reacted to another government-backed win: a $43 million contract to integrate AVAV’s PANTHER antenna onto SkyRange platforms, adding to confidence in future contract momentum. AeroVironment (AVAV) Secures $43M Contract to Integrate PANTHER Antenna onto SkyRange Platforms
• Neutral Sentiment: Traders are also watching unusual options activity and strong volume, suggesting elevated speculation around the stock’s move. Traders Purchase Large Volume of AeroVironment Call Options NASDAQ: AVAV
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms announced or promoted securities class-action claims tied to AVAV, creating a legal overhang that could pressure sentiment despite the operational positives. AVAV Investors Have Opportunity to Lead AeroVironment, Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit

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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