Moody National Bank Trust Division Purchases 7,076 Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Key Points

• Moody National Bank Trust Division nearly doubled its AeroVironment stake in the third quarter, purchasing 7,076 additional shares to hold 14,449 shares valued at approximately $2.1 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 86.38% of the stock.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive: AeroVironment has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $228.37, supported by multiple Buy and Outperform ratings.
• AeroVironment beat quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, reporting $0.59 EPS and $480.5 million in revenue, but it continues to post a negative net margin. Shares recently traded near $143.54, well below their 52-week high of $417.86.

Moody National Bank Trust Division raised its position in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 96.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 14,449 shares of the aerospace company's stock after buying an additional 7,076 shares during the quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division's holdings in AeroVironment were worth $2,055,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in AeroVironment in the second 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. Korea Investment CORP acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter valued at $54,901,000. MYDA Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter valued at $3,628,000. Finally, Deepwater Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment in the 4th quarter valued at $6,987,000. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Citizens Jmp restated a "market outperform" rating and set a $230.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. UBS Group boosted their target price on AeroVironment from $166.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of AeroVironment from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, July 5th. William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $225.00 price objective on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $228.37.

AeroVironment Trading Up 3.0%

NASDAQ:AVAV traded up $4.24 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $143.54. 1,574,753 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,670,916. AeroVironment, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $135.20 and a fifty-two week high of $417.86. The company has a current ratio of 4.26, a quick ratio of 3.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.29 billion, a P/E ratio of -61.34, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $157.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $169.56.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, September 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.77% and a positive return on equity of 4.04%. The firm had revenue of $480.49 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.95 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.32 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Brian Shackley sold 205 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total value of $41,381.30. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,888 shares in the company, valued at $1,592,271.68. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.27, for a total transaction of $38,067.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 48,253 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,347,484.31. This represents a 0.52% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 805 shares of company stock worth $142,671 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.79% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Switchblade demand and backlog support future revenue. AeroVironment has secured major military contracts for its Switchblade loitering munition systems. At the end of fiscal 2027’s first quarter, the company reported approximately $1.5 billion in funded backlog and another $1.4 billion in unfunded backlog, providing substantial potential revenue visibility. Should Investors Buy the Dip in AeroVironment or Wait for Profitability?
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG reiterated its bullish view. Analyst Andre Madrid maintained a Buy rating and a $205 price target, citing strength in directed-energy and counter-drone systems. The target implies meaningful upside from the stock’s recent trading level and reinforces the investment case around next-generation defense technologies. AeroVironment Maintained at Buy with $205 Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Valuation comparisons favor AeroVironment’s established defense position. Commentary contrasting AeroVironment with smaller drone company Ondas emphasized AVAV’s larger revenue base, stronger defense-contracting credentials and more established customer relationships. A separate report cited a consensus price target of $231.89. AeroVironment Consensus Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors remain divided over the timing of profitability. Although recent earnings exceeded expectations, AeroVironment continues to report a negative net margin and negative price-to-earnings ratio. The key question is whether backlog growth and defense demand can translate into sustainable profits before valuation concerns intensify. Should Investors Buy the Dip in AeroVironment or Wait for Profitability?

AeroVironment Company Profile

AeroVironment, Inc is a defense technology company that develops and supplies autonomous systems, uncrewed aircraft, loitering munitions and counter-uncrewed-aircraft systems. Its portfolio includes small unmanned aircraft systems such as Raven, Puma and Wasp, as well as larger platforms including JUMP 20 and Quantix Recon.

The company is also known for its Switchblade family of loitering munitions, which combine surveillance, target identification and precision strike capabilities. AeroVironment provides related ground control systems, sensors, software, communications equipment, training and support services for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Founded in 1971 by aerospace engineer Paul B.

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