Swedbank AB Acquires 260,072 Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Key Points

• Swedbank AB massively increased its stake in AeroVironment during the fourth quarter, buying 260,072 additional shares and lifting its holdings to 261,214 shares worth about $63.2 million.
• AeroVironment reported mixed quarterly results, with revenue jumping 143.4% year over year to $408.05 million but earnings of $0.64 per share missing Wall Street expectations of $0.68. The company also issued FY 2026 EPS guidance of 2.75 to 3.10.
• Analysts remain cautiously positive despite multiple price target cuts, with the stock carrying a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $318.78. Meanwhile, insider selling totaled 1,596 shares over the past 90 days.

Swedbank AB raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 22,773.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 261,214 shares of the aerospace company's stock after purchasing an additional 260,072 shares during the period. Swedbank AB owned 0.52% of AeroVironment worth $63,185,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of AVAV. United Services Automobile Association bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $225,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $285,000. American Century Companies Inc. bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $633,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in AeroVironment by 5,200.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 159 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP raised its position in AeroVironment by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 24,188 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $6,892,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company's stock.

AeroVironment Stock Up 6.8%

AVAV stock opened at $174.23 on Friday. AeroVironment, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $156.00 and a fifty-two week high of $417.86. The business's 50 day moving average price is $187.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $248.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 4.54 and a current ratio of 5.51. The company has a market capitalization of $8.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -40.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.35.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The aerospace company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 company posted $0.30 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 143.4% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.55, for a total value of $88,921.80. Following the sale, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total value of $42,504.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,794 shares in the company, valued at $1,231,340.88. The trade was a 3.34% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 1,596 shares of company stock worth $349,456 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AVAV has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Citizens Jmp lowered their price target on AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on AeroVironment from $260.00 to $235.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their target price on AeroVironment from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on AeroVironment from $390.00 to $305.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, KeyCorp reduced their target price on AeroVironment from $330.00 to $295.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $318.78.

About AeroVironment

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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