AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Price Down 3% After Insider Selling

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) fell 3% during trading on Wednesday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $214.54 and last traded at $215.85. 1,421,604 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 28% from the average session volume of 1,972,088 shares. The stock had previously closed at $222.51.

Specifically, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the firm’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 $42,504.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 5,794 shares in the company, 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 stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.52, for a total transaction of $53,130.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 49,751 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,573,082.52. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on AVAV shares. Cantor Fitzgerald cut their target price on AeroVironment from $335.00 to $315.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. BTIG Research dropped their price target on AeroVironment from $415.00 to $330.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Zacks Research cut shares of AeroVironment from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Weiss Ratings downgraded AeroVironment from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, January 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $318.78.

Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Acquisition: AVAV closed a ~ $200M deal for Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero), expanding UAS/AAM engineering, AS9100 manufacturing and hybrid/electric propulsion capabilities — bolsters long‑term defense and product roadmap. AeroVironment Acquires ESAero
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly results showed strong top‑line growth ($408M, +143% YoY driven by BlueHalo) but AVAV missed consensus revenue and EPS; management set FY26 EPS guidance of $2.75–3.10 (below street consensus), creating mixed near‑term expectations. FQ3 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor engagement: AVAV presented at the JPMorgan Industrials Conference (transcript available) — useful for detail and tone but not an immediate catalyst by itself. JPMorgan Presentation Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider moves: CAO Brian Shackley and director Stephen Page disclosed small share sales (200 and 250 shares); holdings remain substantial — routine but sometimes watched by investors. Insider Sales
• Negative Sentiment: Litigation/investigation risk: Pomerantz LLP has launched an investor investigation and other firms (Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman) are soliciting inquiries — increases headline and legal risk, which often pressures shares. Pomerantz Investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst / sentiment pressure: BTIG trimmed its price target (from $415 to $330) and some media pieces highlight risks in AVAV’s profile — analyst cuts and negative commentary can weigh on sentiment despite strategic positives. BTIG Price Target Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Critical coverage: Articles calling out risks (operational or valuation) add downward pressure and may amplify selling in the short term. Critical Coverage

AeroVironment Trading Down 3.0%

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 stock has a 50-day moving average of $275.34 and a two-hundred day moving average of $291.59. The company has a market cap of $10.78 billion, a P/E ratio of -49.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 1.26.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of $408.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $487.94 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 13.93% and a positive return on equity of 3.26%. AeroVironment’s revenue was up 143.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.30 earnings per share. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.750-3.100 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 31.2% in the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 5,091 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,235,000 after purchasing an additional 1,210 shares during the last quarter. Mengis Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in AeroVironment by 61.2% in the 4th quarter. Mengis Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,501 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $363,000 after buying an additional 570 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $195,000. MidFirst Bank purchased a new position in AeroVironment in the 4th quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in AeroVironment by 45.5% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 6,084 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,472,000 after acquiring an additional 1,902 shares during the period. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.