California State Teachers Retirement System Grows Position in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Key Points

• CalSTRS dramatically increased its AeroVironment stake by 16,307% in the second quarter, owning 6.2 million shares worth approximately $1.03 billion, or 12.23% of the company. Institutional investors collectively hold 86.38% of AVAV shares.
• AeroVironment reported fiscal Q1 FY2027 revenue of $480.5 million and EPS of $0.59, beating analyst estimates of $451.95 million and $0.22, respectively. Revenue rose 5.7% year over year, while the company reaffirmed FY2027 EPS guidance of $3.02–$3.34.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $247.79 target price, although AVAV shares have fallen substantially from their 52-week high and some analysts cite valuation and execution risks.

California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its position in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 16,307.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 6,215,051 shares of the aerospace company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,177,171 shares during the quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System owned about 12.23% of AeroVironment worth $1,025,918,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth approximately $94,655,000. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $574,566,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 289.9% during the fourth quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 222,055 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $53,714,000 after purchasing an additional 165,106 shares during the last quarter. MYDA Advisors LLC bought a new position in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth $3,628,000. Finally, Korea Investment CORP acquired a new position in AeroVironment in the second quarter worth $54,901,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Stephen Page sold 250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at $8,546,264.41. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Brian Shackley sold 205 shares of the firm's 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,888 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,592,271.68. This represents 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. Insiders have sold 705 shares of company stock worth $132,979 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.79% of the company's stock.

AeroVironment Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AVAV opened at $146.71 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $7.46 billion, a P/E ratio of -62.70, a P/E/G ratio of 5.15 and a beta of 1.41. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $157.41 and its 200 day simple moving average is $178.78. AeroVironment, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $135.20 and a fifty-two week high of $417.86. The company has a quick ratio of 3.59, a current ratio of 4.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.37. The firm had revenue of $480.49 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.95 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.77% and a positive return on equity of 4.04%. AeroVironment's revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.32 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. Equities analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.22 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on AVAV shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d)" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Friday, September 4th. Raymond James Financial raised shares of AeroVironment from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $210.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Citigroup reiterated a "market outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $225.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday. Finally, Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating and set a $230.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday. Two investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $247.79.

Trending Headlines about AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record results and backlog: Fiscal Q1 FY2027 revenue increased 5.7% year over year to a record $480.5 million, while adjusted earnings of $0.59 per share exceeded consensus estimates. Funded backlog rose 37% to approximately $1.5 billion, and the 1.4 book-to-bill ratio points to solid future demand. AeroVironment's Record Backlog and Earnings Beat Fuel Recovery Case
• Positive Sentiment: LOCUST international expansion: AeroVironment received its first international purchase order for its LOCUST directed-energy counter-drone system, valued at more than $50 million. Management said laser weapons could become a flagship franchise, with low operating costs potentially supporting broader adoption. AeroVironment Secures First International Order for LOCUST
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains: JPMorgan raised its target to $210 and Citizens JMP maintained an Outperform rating with a $230 target after the earnings report, reflecting optimism about autonomous systems demand and a second-half production ramp.
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance was maintained but not raised: AeroVironment reaffirmed fiscal 2027 earnings guidance of $3.02–$3.34 per share. However, full-year revenue guidance of approximately $2.18 billion at the midpoint was slightly below analyst expectations, tempering the earnings beat.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution concerns: Analysts note that growth is moderating, profitability remains pressured, and the stock still carries a premium valuation despite its substantial decline from its 12-month high. Investors are also watching the company’s ability to scale LOCUST and other programs efficiently.
• Negative Sentiment: Price-target cut weighs on sentiment: Bank of America retained a Buy rating but lowered its target from $225 to $185, signaling reduced near-term upside expectations and contributing to the stock’s decline.

About AeroVironment

AeroVironment, Inc is a defense technology company that develops and produces unmanned aircraft systems, loitering munitions, counter-unmanned aircraft systems and related robotic technologies. Its products are designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, precision strike, force protection and tactical communications applications.

The company's portfolio includes the Raven, Puma and Wasp small unmanned aircraft systems; the JUMP 20 vertical takeoff and landing aircraft; and the Switchblade family of loitering munitions.

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