AeroVironment Stock Jumps 4% After Q1 Earnings Beat Expectations

Aditya Raghunath4 minute read
Reviewed by: David Hanson
Last updated Sep 10, 2026

@Oleksii Mach via Canva, @vadymkoshelevskij from Getty Images via Canva

Key Stats for AeroVironment Stock

  • Price change for AeroVironment stock in the last 1 month: -26%
  • $AVAV Stock Price as of Sep. 9: $141
  • 52-Week High: $418
  • $AVAV Stock Price Target: $226

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What Happened?

AeroVironment (AVAV) stock climbed 4% after the drone and defense technology maker posted Q1 results that blew past Wall Street’s expectations.

  • Adjusted earnings came in at 59 cents per share, more than double the 25 cents analysts were expecting.
  • Revenue hit $480 million, also topping the $456 million forecast.

AeroVironment stock has had a wild year. Shares rocketed early in 2026, then crashed after the company restated its financials and lost a key contract.

So this quarter’s beat was exactly the kind of good news shareholders were hoping for.

The Autonomous Systems segment, which includes the company’s drones, drove the strength, growing 21% year over year to $346 million.

The Space, Cyber and Directed Energy segment slipped 21% to $134 million, but that was expected because of a discontinued contract.

Bookings told a similar story. AeroVironment brought in $683 million worth of new orders, up 71% from a year ago, pushing its book-to-bill ratio to 1.4.

Funded backlog hit a record $1.5 billion, up 37% year over year, while unfunded backlog added another $1.4 billion.

The company also landed some major wins recently. It secured its first international order for the LOCUST directed energy counter-drone system, worth $50 million.

That followed a huge $464.8 million U.S. Army contract for its Enduring High-Energy Laser system, the first-ever full production contract for a laser weapon system in U.S. military history.

AVAV Stock Q1 Earnings vs. Estimates in Billion USD (TIKR)

Looking ahead, management kept its full-year guidance intact. The company still expects revenue between $2.125 billion and $2.225 billion, roughly 10% growth at the midpoint.

Adjusted EPS guidance sits at $3.16, a slight dip from last year, mostly because AeroVironment is spending heavily to expand its manufacturing facilities.

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What the Market Is Telling Us About AeroVironment Stock

The 4% pop in AeroVironment stock shows investors are relieved, but not shocked, by the strong quarter.

After this year’s swings, expectations had been reset lower, making it easier for the company to impress.

Wall Street is largely upbeat. As of September, 85% of analysts covering the stock rate it a buy or strong buy, and none recommend selling.

That bullish tilt existed even before this earnings beat.

AVAV Stock Street Target (TIKR)

Still, AeroVironment stock isn’t for the faint of heart.

Its lumpy sales, heavy reliance on government contracts, and recent volatility mean big swings could continue.

But between its growing backlog, new international deals, and expanding product lineup, the company looks like it has real momentum heading into the rest of fiscal 2027.

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How Much Upside Does AeroVironment Stock Have From Here?

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Disclaimer:

Please note that the articles on TIKR are not intended to serve as investment or financial advice from TIKR or our content team, nor are they recommendations to buy or sell any stocks. We create our content based on TIKR Terminal’s investment data and analysts’ estimates. Our analysis might not include recent company news or important updates. TIKR has no position in any stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading, and happy investing!

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