Deepwater Asset Management LLC Invests $6.99 Million in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Key Points

• Deepwater Asset Management opened a new position in AeroVironment, buying 28,885 shares valued at about $6.99 million. The stake represents roughly 2% of Deepwater’s portfolio and about 0.06% of AeroVironment.
• Several analysts reduced price targets on AVAV, though the stock still carries a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average target price of $318.78.
• AeroVironment’s latest earnings missed expectations, with EPS of $0.64 versus $0.68 expected and revenue of $408.05 million versus $487.94 million estimated, while the company also faces multiple securities class-action claims tied to alleged misleading statements.

Deepwater Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 28,885 shares of the aerospace company's stock, valued at approximately $6,987,000. AeroVironment makes up approximately 2.0% of Deepwater Asset Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. Deepwater Asset Management LLC owned about 0.06% of AeroVironment as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of AVAV. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Modus Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter worth approximately $79,000. MCF Advisors LLC increased its stake in AeroVironment by 195.0% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 177 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,593,000. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new stake in AeroVironment during the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,142,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.38% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AVAV has been the subject of several research reports. UBS Group cut their price objective on AeroVironment from $259.00 to $236.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on AeroVironment from $389.00 to $315.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. BTIG Research lowered their target price on AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their target price on AeroVironment from $391.00 to $290.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, AeroVironment currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $318.78.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

AVAV opened at $185.92 on Monday. AeroVironment, Inc. has a one year low of $156.00 and a one year high of $417.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.28 billion, a PE ratio of -42.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.35. The business's 50 day moving average price is $184.91 and its 200 day moving average price is $238.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a current ratio of 5.51.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last released 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). AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.26%. The business had revenue of $408.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $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. As a group, equities research analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 2.94 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In related news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total value of $42,504.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.55, for a total value of $88,921.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 16,026 shares in the company, valued at $3,598,638.30. This represents a 2.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 1,346 shares of company stock worth $274,456. Insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms announced or reiterated securities class-action claims against AeroVironment, saying investors who bought shares between June 25, 2025 and March 10, 2026 may pursue recovery, with a lead-plaintiff deadline of July 27, 2026. Article: AVAV Investors Have Opportunity to Lead AeroVironment, Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit with the Schall Law Firm
• Negative Sentiment: The complaints allege AeroVironment and certain executives made false or misleading statements, including claims tied to the company’s $1.7 billion SCAR contract, which raises uncertainty and potential legal costs. Article: SueWallSt Reminds Shareholders of a Lead Plaintiff Deadline of July 27, 2026 in AeroVironment, Inc. Lawsuit - AVAV
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional firms, including Faruqi & Faruqi, Rosen, Pomerantz, Robbins Geller, Berger Montague, and others, issued investor alerts about the same lawsuit, extending the news flow but adding little new business information. Article: AVAV INVESTOR ACTION: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Reminds AeroVironment (AVAV) Investors of Securities Class Action Deadline on July 27, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: A market note also said AeroVironment and peer Kratos Defense were trading lower, likely reflecting broader weakness in defense-drone names alongside the lawsuit headlines. Article: AeroVironment and Kratos stocks trade down, what you need to know

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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