AeroVironment Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:AVAV)

08 Jan 2026, 11:06 by Doug Wharley · The Cerbat Gem

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Stock traders bought 7,627 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 20% compared to the average volume of 6,382 call options.

AeroVironment Stock Up 9.9%

NASDAQ:AVAV traded up $31.64 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $350.12. The company had a trading volume of 1,628,111 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,738,200. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $282.52 and a 200-day simple moving average of $283.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -279.87, a PEG ratio of 4.68 and a beta of 1.16. AeroVironment has a 1 year low of $102.25 and a 1 year high of $417.86. The company has a current ratio of 5.08, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The aerospace company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.43). The firm had revenue of $472.51 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $466.16 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 5.08% and a positive return on equity of 3.42%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 150.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.47 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.550 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that AeroVironment will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at AeroVironment

In related news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 998 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $399.74, for a total transaction of $398,940.52. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 19,324 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,724,575.76. This trade represents a 4.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.92, for a total transaction of $50,184.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 5,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,504,014.48. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 2,222 shares of company stock valued at $746,592 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AeroVironment

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Parisi Gray Wealth Management grew its stake in AeroVironment by 31.8% during the 4th quarter. Parisi Gray Wealth Management now owns 1,086 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $263,000 after purchasing an additional 262 shares in the last quarter. Aventura Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter worth $288,000. Miller Global Investments LLC acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at $270,000. PVG Asset Management Corp bought a new position in AeroVironment during the 3rd quarter valued at $332,000. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the 3rd quarter valued at about $629,000. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on AVAV shares. Citizens Jmp restated a “market outperform” rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. New Street Research set a $365.00 price target on AeroVironment in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of AeroVironment from $295.00 to $389.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded shares of AeroVironment to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $375.41.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on AeroVironment

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.