Seven Grand Managers LLC Has $14.51 Million Stake in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Key Points

• Seven Grand Managers LLC cut its AeroVironment stake by 50% in the fourth quarter, selling 60,000 shares and leaving it with 60,000 shares worth about $14.51 million. The position still represented about 1.1% of the fund’s portfolio.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive on AVAV, with analysts holding a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $318.78. Several firms recently lowered targets, though most still maintained buy-equivalent ratings.
• AeroVironment missed quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $0.64 EPS on revenue of $408.05 million versus estimates of $0.68 EPS and $487.94 million revenue. The stock was trading at $181.28, well below its 52-week high of $417.86, while the company also faces legal overhang from securities-fraud and class-action filings.

Seven Grand Managers LLC trimmed its stake in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 50.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 60,000 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 60,000 shares during the period. AeroVironment comprises about 1.1% of Seven Grand Managers LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest position. Seven Grand Managers LLC owned about 0.12% of AeroVironment worth $14,513,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 7.8% during the third quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 498 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $157,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Legacy Bridge LLC raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 4,046 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $979,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. NewEdge Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 3,709 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $897,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 100.0% during the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Finally, Huntington National Bank increased its stake in AeroVironment by 72.1% in the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 105 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of AeroVironment from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Citizens Jmp lowered their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a "market outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, BTIG Research lowered their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Two investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $318.78.

AeroVironment Stock Down 0.5%

AeroVironment stock opened at $181.28 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.05 billion, a PE ratio of -41.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.35. The company's 50-day moving average is $185.65 and its 200-day moving average is $243.59. AeroVironment, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $156.00 and a fifty-two week high of $417.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 5.51 and a quick ratio of 4.54.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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). The firm had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.26% and a negative net margin of 13.93%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.30 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Trending Headlines about AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment announced a $20.2 million government-backed investment to expand its Huntsville, Alabama facility, supporting higher production of its Freedom Eagle-1 interceptor and accelerating future full-rate production of next-generation counter-drone missiles. Investors viewed the funding as a sign of growing demand and program support for AVAV’s defense business. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company also gained attention for expanding its software and sensing capabilities, including AV Halo upgrades and a new Department of War contract, reinforcing the view that AeroVironment is becoming a more software-centric defense platform. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several investor-alert and class-action notices were published, stating that lawsuits have been filed over alleged misleading statements tied to competition risks in a satellite communications program. These headlines do not change fundamentals immediately, but they add legal uncertainty and can weigh on sentiment. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The newly announced securities-fraud investigation and class-action filings create a legal overhang for AVAV and may pressure the stock if investors worry about potential disclosures, costs, or reputational damage. Article Title

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other 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 $1,231,340.88. The trade was a 3.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.55, for a total transaction of $88,921.80. Following 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. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 1,596 shares of company stock worth $349,456 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

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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