CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC Raises Holdings in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Key Points

• CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC dramatically increased its stake in AeroVironment by 24,798.7%, finishing the quarter with 315,716 shares (about 0.63% of the company) valued at roughly $99.4 million.
• AeroVironment reported Q3 revenue of $408.1M (up 143% YoY, driven by BlueHalo) but missed consensus revenue and EPS, and set FY2026 EPS guidance of $2.75–3.10 which is below street expectations.
• The company completed an ~$200M acquisition of Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) to bolster UAS and propulsion capabilities, yet near‑term sentiment is strained by a new investor investigation, insider selling, and several analyst price‑target cuts.

CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 24,798.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 315,716 shares of the aerospace company's stock after buying an additional 314,448 shares during the quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC owned approximately 0.63% of AeroVironment worth $99,416,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 60.0% in the third quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its stake 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 valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the third quarter valued at $25,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on AVAV shares. Raymond James Financial restated an "underperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $260.00 to $235.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Citigroup reissued a "market outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $325.00 to $250.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, AeroVironment has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $318.78.

AeroVironment Stock Down 3.0%

AVAV opened at $215.85 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 5.51 and a quick ratio of 4.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -49.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 1.26. The business has a 50-day moving average of $275.34 and a two-hundred day moving average of $291.59. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12 month low of $102.25 and a 12 month high of $417.86.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.68 by ($0.04). AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.26% and a negative net margin of 13.93%.The company had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $487.94 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.30 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Acquisition: AVAV closed a ~ $200M deal for Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero), expanding UAS/AAM engineering, AS9100 manufacturing and hybrid/electric propulsion capabilities — bolsters long‑term defense and product roadmap. AeroVironment Acquires ESAero
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly results showed strong top‑line growth ($408M, +143% YoY driven by BlueHalo) but AVAV missed consensus revenue and EPS; management set FY26 EPS guidance of $2.75–3.10 (below street consensus), creating mixed near‑term expectations. FQ3 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor engagement: AVAV presented at the JPMorgan Industrials Conference (transcript available) — useful for detail and tone but not an immediate catalyst by itself. JPMorgan Presentation Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider moves: CAO Brian Shackley and director Stephen Page disclosed small share sales (200 and 250 shares); holdings remain substantial — routine but sometimes watched by investors. Insider Sales
• Negative Sentiment: Litigation/investigation risk: Pomerantz LLP has launched an investor investigation and other firms (Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman) are soliciting inquiries — increases headline and legal risk, which often pressures shares. Pomerantz Investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst / sentiment pressure: BTIG trimmed its price target (from $415 to $330) and some media pieces highlight risks in AVAV’s profile — analyst cuts and negative commentary can weigh on sentiment despite strategic positives. BTIG Price Target Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Critical coverage: Articles calling out risks (operational or valuation) add downward pressure and may amplify selling in the short term. Critical Coverage

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 1,000 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.62, for a total value of $377,620.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 51,001 shares in the company, valued at $19,258,997.62. This trade represents a 1.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 999 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $367.60, for a total transaction of $367,232.40. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 17,301 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,359,847.60. This represents a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 4,924 shares of company stock valued at $1,486,038. Insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

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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