Marshall Wace LLP Acquires 23,520 Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)

Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 2,077.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 24,652 shares of the aerospace company's stock after purchasing an additional 23,520 shares during the quarter. Marshall Wace LLP owned approximately 0.09% of AeroVironment worth $3,794,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 299.4% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,821 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $1,037,000 after buying an additional 3,614 shares in the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. raised its holdings in AeroVironment by 10.9% during the 4th quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 333,193 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $51,275,000 after acquiring an additional 32,663 shares during the period. Cibc World Markets Corp purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth $404,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 415.7% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 198,975 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $30,620,000 after acquiring an additional 160,390 shares during the period. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of AeroVironment by 63.0% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 217,806 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $33,518,000 after purchasing an additional 84,170 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.38% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, CEO Wahid Nawabi sold 29,366 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.20, for a total value of $3,764,721.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 115,174 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,765,306.80. The trade was a 20.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.27% of the company's stock.

AeroVironment Price Performance

Shares of AVAV stock traded up $4.98 during trading on Thursday, hitting $156.50. The company had a trading volume of 92,536 shares, compared to its average volume of 411,320. AeroVironment, Inc. has a 52 week low of $102.25 and a 52 week high of $236.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 90.10 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a quick ratio of 3.36, a current ratio of 4.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The stock's 50-day moving average is $135.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $166.73.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. William Blair reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $230.00 to $190.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Raymond James raised shares of AeroVironment from a "market perform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $200.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of AeroVironment from $220.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, AeroVironment currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $202.00.

AeroVironment Company Profile

AeroVironment, Inc designs, develops, produces, delivers, and supports a portfolio of robotic systems and related services for government agencies and businesses in the United States and internationally. It operates through Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS), Tactical Missile System (TMS), Medium Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MUAS), and High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite Systems (HAPS) segments.