Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC Purchases 16,000 Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Key Points

• Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC increased its AeroVironment stake by 246.2% in the fourth quarter, buying 16,000 additional shares to bring its total to 22,500 shares worth about $5.44 million.
• AeroVironment has been boosted by new U.S. government contracts and funding, including a $20 million Air Force Research Laboratory award and $20.2 million for an Alabama missile production expansion, supporting growth expectations.
• The stock remains under pressure from ongoing securities class-action litigation, with multiple law firms reminding investors of the July 27, 2026 lead-plaintiff deadline and alleging risks tied to the company’s SCAR program disclosures.

Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 246.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 22,500 shares of the aerospace company's stock after purchasing an additional 16,000 shares during the period. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC's holdings in AeroVironment were worth $5,443,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its position in AeroVironment by 7.8% during the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 498 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $157,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC increased 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 valued at $979,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 3,709 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $897,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its stake in AeroVironment by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 80 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Huntington National Bank grew its position in AeroVironment by 72.1% during the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 105 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Recent analysis highlighted AeroVironment’s new U.S. government awards, including a $20 million Air Force Research Laboratory ceramics contract and $20.2 million in federal funding to expand its Alabama missile production facility, reinforcing growth and defense demand. A Look At AeroVironment (AVAV) Valuation After Major New US Government Contracts And Expansion Plans
• Positive Sentiment: The stock had been rallying recently on those contract wins and expansion expectations, suggesting investors were already pricing in stronger government-driven growth. A Look At AeroVironment (AVAV) Valuation After Major New US Government Contracts And Expansion Plans
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple law firms reiterated the July 27, 2026 deadline for investors to seek lead-plaintiff status in the already filed class-action lawsuit, keeping legal proceedings in the spotlight. ROSEN, GLOBAL INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages AeroVironment, Inc. Investors to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action - AVAV
• Negative Sentiment: New investor notices accuse AeroVironment of misleading shareholders about its SCAR program competitive risks and single-vendor contract vulnerability, which could increase the market’s concern about litigation and potential damages. AVAV Shareholder Alert: July 27, 2026 Lead Plaintiff Deadline in AeroVironment, Inc. Securities Class Action - Contact Levi & Korsinsky
• Negative Sentiment: The accumulation of class-action filings and reminders from several firms may create overhang on AVAV shares until the lawsuit timeline becomes clearer. AVAV INVESTOR NOTICE: AeroVironment, Inc. Investors with Substantial Losses Have Opportunity to Lead Class Action Lawsuit

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other AeroVironment news, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the firm'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 sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,794 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,231,340.88. This trade represents a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total value of $53,130.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 49,751 shares of the company's stock, valued at $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 1,346 shares of company stock worth $274,456. 0.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on AVAV. Citizens Jmp decreased their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $400.00 to $350.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $325.00 to $250.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on AeroVironment from $389.00 to $315.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. BTIG Research decreased their target price on AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded AeroVironment from an "underperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $318.78.

AeroVironment Stock Down 1.5%

AVAV stock opened at $204.09 on Tuesday. AeroVironment, Inc. has a one year low of $156.00 and a one year high of $417.86. 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 firm's fifty day moving average is $185.17 and its 200 day moving average is $241.01. The firm has a market cap of $10.19 billion, a PE ratio of -47.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 1.35.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.94 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.30 EPS. The company'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. On average, research analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 2.94 EPS for the current year.

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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