AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Up 5.6% – What’s Next?

Posted by Geri Gentry on Jul 23rd, 2026

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) rose 5.6% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $162.30 and last traded at $158.73. Approximately 1,641,886 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 2% from the average session volume of 1,682,758 shares. The stock had previously closed at $150.35.

Key Headlines Impacting AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

Positive Sentiment: Shares are getting support from improving sentiment around AeroVironment’s defense pipeline, including a recent analyst upgrade, stronger expectations for counter-drone and directed-energy demand, and momentum from new program wins. Quiver Quantitative article
Positive Sentiment: Investor optimism is also being helped by a new U.S. Army contract worth about $117.3 million, which reinforces AeroVironment’s position in defense systems and could bolster revenue visibility. Barchart article
Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street remains broadly constructive, with several recent “Buy” or “Overweight” ratings and a median price target above the current trading range, suggesting analysts still see meaningful upside if execution holds. Brokerage ratings article
Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms issued fresh reminders about a pending securities class action and a July 27 lead-plaintiff deadline, highlighting allegations tied to AeroVironment’s disclosures and creating legal uncertainty for shareholders. Business Wire article
Negative Sentiment: The class-action activity may weigh on sentiment near term, since several firms are advertising claims on behalf of investors who bought AVAV shares during the alleged class period. PR Newswire article

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $305.00 to $229.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Zacks Research upgraded shares of AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Wedbush initiated coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on AeroVironment from $248.00 to $235.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $266.68.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on AeroVironment

AeroVironment Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average of $167.08 and a 200-day moving average of $214.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a current ratio of 4.30. The company has a market cap of $8.03 billion, a PE ratio of -43.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 1.39.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.71% and a negative net margin of 9.00%.The business had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $555.97 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.61 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. Equities analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In other AeroVironment news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total transaction of $43,602.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Legacy Bridge LLC raised its position in AeroVironment by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 4,046 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $979,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. NewEdge Wealth LLC boosted its position 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 buying an additional 39 shares during the period. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $261,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 29.7% in the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 188 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 10.5% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 495 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $120,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

About AeroVironment

(Get Free Report)

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.