Empowered Funds LLC Buys Shares of 18,360 AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC purchased 18,360 AeroVironment shares worth approximately $3.36 million in the first quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 86.38% of the company.
• AeroVironment reported quarterly revenue of $641.62 million, up 133.3% year over year, and EPS of $1.84, exceeding analysts’ $1.47 estimate.
• The stock opened at $159.18, well below its 52-week high of $417.86. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $266.68, despite several recent target reductions.

Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 18,360 shares of the aerospace company's stock, valued at approximately $3,361,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Ashford Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the first quarter valued at approximately $306,000. Glen Eagle Advisors LLC grew its stake in AeroVironment by 131.8% in the 1st quarter. Glen Eagle Advisors LLC now owns 255 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 145 shares during the period. Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 46.4% in the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 3,040 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $556,000 after acquiring an additional 964 shares during the last quarter. SummitTX Capital L.P. raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 77.6% in the 1st quarter. SummitTX Capital L.P. now owns 6,512 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $1,192,000 after acquiring an additional 2,845 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Themes Management Co LLC lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 57.1% during the 1st quarter. Themes Management Co LLC now owns 1,472 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $269,000 after purchasing an additional 535 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

NASDAQ AVAV opened at $159.18 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.06 billion, a P/E ratio of -43.26, a P/E/G ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 1.41. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 1-year low of $135.20 and a 1-year high of $417.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 4.30 and a quick ratio of 3.59. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $164.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $204.60.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The firm had revenue of $641.62 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $555.97 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.61 EPS. The company's revenue was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. Equities analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.26 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AeroVironment

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total transaction of $43,602.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on AVAV shares. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $205.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered AeroVironment from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $210.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Wolfe Research downgraded shares of AeroVironment to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, AeroVironment presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $266.68.

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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