AeroVironment Shares Surge 20% After Blowout Q4 Results
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 59 minutes ago
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Source: Yahoo Finance
- Impressive Earnings: AeroVironment's fiscal Q4 revenue surged 133% year-over-year to a record $641.6 million, and even excluding acquisitions, organic growth was a robust 31%, indicating strong market demand.
- Profitability Boost: Adjusted EBITDA more than doubled to $140.1 million, lifting the EBITDA margin to 22%, reflecting significant improvements in cost control and profitability.
- Backlog Growth: The company closed the year with a funded backlog of $1.2 billion, up 65% from the previous year, signaling strong future order demand that exceeds current shipping capabilities.
- Optimistic Outlook: Management projects fiscal 2027 revenue between $2.125 billion and $2.225 billion, indicating healthy growth potential in the drone and counter-drone markets despite a slight deceleration in growth rate.
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Analyst Views on AVAV
Wall Street analysts forecast AVAV stock price to rise
13 Analyst Rating
13 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 165.070
Low
315.00
Averages
390.75
High
450.00
Current: 165.070
Low
315.00
Averages
390.75
High
450.00
About AVAV
AeroVironment, Inc. is a defense technology provider delivering integrated capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. The Company develops and deploys autonomous systems, uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), precision strike systems, counter-UAS (C-UAS) technologies, space-based platforms, directed energy systems, and cyber and electronic warfare capabilities. Its segments include Autonomous Systems (AxS) and Space, Cyber, and Directed Energy (SCDE). The AxS segment focuses on the design, development, production, delivery, and support of intelligent, multi-domain robotic systems, including UAS, uncrewed underwater vehicles and ground robot systems. It primarily serves organizations within or supplying the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), other federal agencies, and international allied governments. The SCDE segment focuses on advanced technologies in the space domain providing space-based and ground-based platforms, cyber capabilities, and directed energy systems.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Strong Earnings Report: AeroVironment's fiscal Q4 revenue surged 133% year-over-year to a record $641.6 million, and even excluding acquisitions, organic growth was robust at 31%, indicating strong market demand and competitive positioning in the defense sector.
- Profitability Improvement: Adjusted EBITDA more than doubled to $140.1 million, lifting the EBITDA margin to 22%, which demonstrates significant progress in cost control and operational efficiency, enhancing the sustainability of future profits.
- Backlog Growth: The company closed the fiscal year with a funded backlog of $1.2 billion, up approximately 65% year-over-year, indicating substantial revenue growth potential in the coming years, with orders significantly outpacing shipping capacity, reflecting strong market demand for its products.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Management projects fiscal 2027 revenue between $2.125 billion and $2.225 billion, suggesting a healthy growth trajectory despite a slowdown, and the CEO indicated that the counter-drone business could match or exceed the size of existing operations within 3-5 years, highlighting long-term growth potential in the drone and counter-drone sectors.
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- Significant Contract Value: AeroVironment has secured a $500 million firm-fixed-price contract to provide commercial counter-drone and counter-small-drone systems, indicating strong demand and competitiveness in the counter-drone market.
- Defined Project Duration: The project is expected to run through June 29, 2029, highlighting AeroVironment's stability in long-term defense contracts and providing a steady revenue stream that boosts investor confidence in future performance.
- Flexible Funding Allocation: The work locations and funding will be assigned separately under individual orders, allowing for a flexible funding management approach that helps the company effectively respond to market changes and customer needs.
- Optimistic Revenue Outlook: AeroVironment projects FY2027 revenue between $2.125 billion and $2.225 billion, reflecting a proactive strategy in expanding manufacturing capacity and market share, further solidifying its leadership position in the industry.
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- Record Revenue: AeroVironment's fiscal Q4 revenue surged to $642 million, a 133% year-over-year increase, with organic growth at 31%, indicating robust market demand and the company's leadership in the drone sector.
- Significant Backlog Growth: The company closed the year with a funded backlog of $1.2 billion, up approximately 65% from $726.6 million a year earlier, signaling strong future order demand that exceeds current shipping capabilities.
- Profitability Improvement: Adjusted EBITDA reached $140.1 million, with an EBITDA margin of 22%, reflecting significant enhancements in cost control and operational efficiency, further solidifying its competitive position in the market.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Management projects fiscal 2027 revenue between $2.125 billion and $2.225 billion, indicating a slowdown in growth rate but still showcasing long-term growth potential in the drone and counter-drone markets, with the CEO suggesting that the counter-drone business could rival or exceed the size of its loitering munitions business in the coming years.
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- Impressive Earnings: AeroVironment's fiscal Q4 revenue surged 133% year-over-year to a record $641.6 million, and even excluding acquisitions, organic growth was a robust 31%, indicating strong market demand.
- Profitability Boost: Adjusted EBITDA more than doubled to $140.1 million, lifting the EBITDA margin to 22%, reflecting significant improvements in cost control and profitability.
- Backlog Growth: The company closed the year with a funded backlog of $1.2 billion, up 65% from the previous year, signaling strong future order demand that exceeds current shipping capabilities.
- Optimistic Outlook: Management projects fiscal 2027 revenue between $2.125 billion and $2.225 billion, indicating healthy growth potential in the drone and counter-drone markets despite a slight deceleration in growth rate.
See More
- Positive Market Reaction: AeroVironment (AVAV) rose 4.1% and Kratos Defense (KTOS) increased by 4.9% in Wednesday's trading, reflecting investor enthusiasm following Wedbush's Outperform ratings and price targets of $250 and $85, respectively.
- Long-Term Winner Potential: Wedbush analyst Sam Brandeis emphasizes that despite near-term noise, AeroVironment is a long-term winner, as the market undervalues its diversified platform's role in a significant procurement reorientation, indicating strong positioning in the new era of defense technology.
- Attractive Entry Point: The recent financial restatement, disclosure of material weakness, and Space Force contract termination create an attractive entry point for AeroVironment, especially as the U.S. Department of War elevates demand for nimble, software-defined suppliers.
- Misunderstood Kratos: Kratos is characterized as the merchant arms supplier to the U.S. defense complex, with the analyst noting that the market misinterprets its role, as its “picks-and-shovels” business model across hypersonics, missile defense, space, and microelectronics captures value regardless of platform dominance, highlighting its unique position in the defense sector.
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- Stock Price Plunge: On January 20, 2026, AeroVironment's stock plummeted by $61.97, or 15.8%, to close at $330.89 after the US government issued a stop work order on its contract with the Space Force, severely undermining investor confidence.
- Contract Termination Impact: The company reported an operating loss of $179 million on March 10, 2026, a significant increase from $3.1 million the previous year, primarily due to a $151.3 million goodwill impairment linked to the stop work order, further dampening market expectations for its future.
- Increased Competition Risk: The lawsuit alleges that AeroVironment failed to disclose imminent competition risks from other vendors, leading investors to misjudge the company's business and financial prospects, highlighting its vulnerable position in the Space Force's modernization efforts.
- Supplier Diversification Strategy: On March 31, 2026, the US Space Force announced a shift towards diversifying suppliers and opting for lower-cost commercial off-the-shelf solutions, indicating that AeroVironment will face greater challenges in future contract competitions, potentially impacting its market share.
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