Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Invests $1.81 Million in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Key Points

• Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired 10,943 AeroVironment shares worth approximately $1.81 million during the second quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds now own 86.38% of the company.
• AeroVironment reported quarterly revenue of $641.62 million, up 133.3% year over year, and adjusted earnings of $1.84 per share, exceeding analysts’ $1.47 estimate.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $266.68, although the stock has declined sharply from its 12-month high and investors remain focused on valuation and execution risks.

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm bought 10,943 shares of the aerospace company's stock, valued at approximately $1,806,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. F m Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 4th quarter valued at $1,775,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $94,655,000. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 2nd quarter valued at $574,566,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC boosted its position 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 valued at $53,714,000 after acquiring an additional 165,106 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MYDA Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,628,000. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AeroVironment Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AVAV opened at $144.65 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $160.02 and a 200 day moving average of $182.48. The stock has a market cap of $7.35 billion, a P/E ratio of -39.31, a P/E/G ratio of 5.00 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a current ratio of 4.30, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 12 month low of $135.20 and a 12 month high of $417.86.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 positive return on equity of 3.71% and a negative net margin of 9.00%.The company had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $555.97 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.61 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 133.3% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AVAV has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wolfe Research lowered shares of AeroVironment to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded shares of AeroVironment from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $210.00 to $180.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $248.00 to $235.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AeroVironment presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $266.68.

Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Landmark $464.8 million laser contract: The Army selected AeroVironment to deliver dozens of LOCUST X3 high-energy laser systems under its Enduring-High Energy Laser program. It is described as the first U.S. directed-energy weapon production award, moving the technology from testing toward field deployment and strengthening AVAV’s position in counter-drone defense. AV’s LOCUST Selected for Nearly $500 million Army Counter-UAS Contract
• Positive Sentiment: Improved revenue visibility and potential growth platform: The multiyear award could establish a new business line for directed-energy systems and expand AeroVironment’s broader counter-UAS opportunity. It may also support future technology development and additional defense orders. AeroVironment’s $465 Million Army Laser Win Expands Its Counter-Drone Opportunity
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains intact: BTIG maintained its Buy rating and $205 price target following the contract announcement, suggesting the award reinforces the long-term investment case. AeroVironment’s New $465M LOCUST Laser Contract Reinforces Buy Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Contract economics remain unclear: Investors still need evidence that the award will generate attractive margins and meaningful near-term earnings, rather than simply increasing backlog. Production ramp-up, delivery timing, and execution will be important factors. AeroVironment: The $465 Million LOCUST Win Needs Margin Proof
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution concerns are limiting the reaction: Commentary remains cautious about competition, limited near-term upside, and whether AeroVironment can translate the laser award into sustained margin expansion. Those concerns are contributing to the stock’s decline even after the headline contract win. Jim Cramer’s AeroVironment Comments

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, CAO Brian Shackley sold 205 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total transaction of $41,381.30. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 7,888 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,592,271.68. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Stephen Page sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total transaction of $43,602.50. Following the sale, the director owned 49,001 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 705 shares of company stock worth $132,979 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.79% of the company's stock.

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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