Hsbc Holdings PLC Takes $3.62 Million Position in AeroVironment, Inc. $AVAV

Hsbc Holdings PLC bought a new position in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 22,294 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,615,000.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AVAV. NewEdge Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in AeroVironment by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 3,709 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $897,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $261,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its position in shares of AeroVironment by 29.7% in the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 188 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Family Legacy Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Family Legacy Inc. now owns 2,326 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $563,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 2,667 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $645,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.38% of the company’s stock.

AeroVironment Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AVAV opened at $147.94 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 4.30, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company has a market capitalization of $7.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -40.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.05 and a beta of 1.41. AeroVironment, Inc. has a twelve month low of $135.20 and a twelve month high of $417.86. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $159.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $186.61.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $555.97 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.61 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Key AeroVironment News

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AeroVironment received a $51 million U.S. Army order for additional Switchblade 600 loitering munitions. The award reinforces demand for the company’s autonomous weapons systems and supports production expansion ahead of first-quarter earnings. AVAV Stock Rises Overnight: AeroVironment Pockets $51M Army Contract Ahead Of Q1 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory selected AeroVironment to co-design and co-manufacture three helicopters for the SkyFall Mars mission, potentially launching in 2028. The project broadens AVAV’s unmanned-systems expertise beyond defense and has moved into a formally funded science program. AeroVironment to co-manufacture helicopters for Mars with NASA
• Positive Sentiment: William Blair reiterated a Buy rating, citing strong loitering-munitions demand and the potential for an Army E-HEL laser contract to offset near-term revenue pressure. Analysts also point to AVAV’s multibillion-dollar backlog and international expansion as longer-term supports. Louie DiPalma Reiterates Buy on AeroVironment
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will present at the Jefferies Global Industrials Conference on September 10, giving investors a potential update on orders, production capacity and the outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares have declined from their 52-week peak and trade below both their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, signaling continued bearish momentum. Investors may also be concerned that AVAV’s high-growth outlook is already reflected in its valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity shows 11 sales and no purchases over six months, including sales by the CFO and other executives. That pattern can weigh on sentiment, although it does not necessarily indicate deteriorating business fundamentals.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on AVAV shares. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price target on shares of AeroVironment from $280.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 10th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of AeroVironment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, July 5th. Zacks Research raised shares of AeroVironment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $266.68.

Insider Transactions at AeroVironment

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 49,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,546,264.41. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 205 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total transaction of $41,381.30. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 7,888 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,592,271.68. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 705 shares of company stock worth $132,979. Insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

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.