AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) Shares Bought by Baillie Gifford & Co.

Baillie Gifford & Co. boosted its position in shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Free Report) by 9.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,135,280 shares of the aerospace company's stock after buying an additional 183,887 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co. owned 7.57% of AeroVironment worth $328,598,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Modus Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its position in shares of AeroVironment by 1,515.4% in the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 210 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in shares of AeroVironment by 2,950.0% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 305 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 295 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AeroVironment Trading Down 0.4 %

NASDAQ:AVAV traded down $0.71 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $158.13. 284,020 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 372,303. 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 business has a 50-day moving average of $166.68 and a two-hundred day moving average of $185.99. AeroVironment, Inc. has a twelve month low of $121.38 and a twelve month high of $236.60. The company has a market capitalization of $4.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 90.88 and a beta of 0.52.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, December 4th. The aerospace company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.76 by ($0.29). AeroVironment had a return on equity of 8.12% and a net margin of 6.39%. The firm had revenue of $188.46 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $181.80 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.97 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.38 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AVAV has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded AeroVironment from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $240.00 to $230.00 in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, December 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AeroVironment currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $225.20.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Kevin Patrick Mcdonnell sold 396 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $198.73, for a total transaction of $78,697.08. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 16,472 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,273,480.56. This represents a 2.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.27% of the company's stock.

About AeroVironment

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.