Keystone Investors PTE Ltd. Sells 6,378 Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Key Points

• Keystone Investors PTE Ltd. cut its AeroVironment stake by 85.3% in the fourth quarter, selling 6,378 shares and leaving it with 1,102 shares worth about $267,000.
• AeroVironment shares were down 7.1% to $170.58, well below their 200-day moving average, while the stock still has significant institutional ownership at 86.38%.
• The company recently missed earnings and revenue estimates for the quarter, and analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $318.78, despite ongoing legal and insider-selling concerns.

Keystone Investors PTE Ltd. reduced its stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 85.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,102 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 6,378 shares during the period. Keystone Investors PTE Ltd.'s holdings in AeroVironment were worth $267,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AVAV. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Smithfield Trust Co bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the third quarter valued at $31,000. 86.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AeroVironment Trading Down 7.1%

NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $170.58 on Friday. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average of $184.20 and a 200-day moving average of $234.94. The company has a market cap of $8.52 billion, a PE ratio of -39.30, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 1.35. AeroVironment, Inc. has a one year low of $156.00 and a one year high of $417.86.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $487.94 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.30 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 143.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 2.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d)" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Monday. Zacks Research raised shares of AeroVironment from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Raymond James Financial raised shares of AeroVironment from an "underperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of AeroVironment from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 7th. Finally, Clear Str raised shares of AeroVironment to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $318.78.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total transaction 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. The trade was a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total transaction of $53,130.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 49,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,573,082.52. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 950 shares of company stock worth $185,534. 0.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Negative Sentiment: A class action lawsuit has been filed against AeroVironment and certain officers, with multiple firms encouraging affected shareholders to seek lead-plaintiff status before the July 27 deadline. Pomerantz Law Firm Announces the Filing of a Class Action Against AeroVironment, Inc. and Certain Officers - AVAV
• Negative Sentiment: The lawsuits and alerts allege investor harm tied to AeroVironment’s reliance on a single-vendor bespoke contract, which reportedly became vulnerable when the Space Force shifted toward multi-vendor commercial solutions. AVAV Shareholder Alert: AeroVironment, Inc. Securities Class Action Lawsuit - Investors Should Contact SueWallSt
• Negative Sentiment: Several firms, including Rosen, The Gross Law Firm, Schall, Faruqi & Faruqi, Bragar Eagel & Squire, and DJS Law Group, issued near-identical notices reminding investors of the pending class action and lead-plaintiff deadline, reinforcing legal risk sentiment around the name. ROSEN, GLOBAL INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages AeroVironment, Inc. Investors to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action - AVAV

AeroVironment 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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