Stock Analysis
Data Source: SEC EDGAR 13F
Updated Hourly

Aerovironment Inc (AVAV)

605 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in AVAV. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↑ +10
Streak
4Q ▲
Buyers last Q
60%

Smart Money Signals — AVAV

Based on 606 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📈

Buying streak — 4 quarters in a row

last 6Q
For 4 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added AVAV than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.
🏔️

At the ownership peak (100% of max)

100% of all-time peak
606 hedge funds hold AVAV right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
🚀

Fast accumulation — +62% more funds vs a year ago

fund count last 6Q
+231 new funds entered over the past year (+62% YoY). That's a rapid rush of institutional money. Fast accumulation often signals a major thesis — but it also means the stock could fall quickly if that thesis breaks.
🟢

More buyers than sellers — 60% buying

397 buying263 selling
Last quarter: 397 funds were net buyers (124 opened a brand new position + 273 added to an existing one). Only 263 were sellers (149 trimmed + 114 sold completely). A clear majority buying is a strong confirmation signal.
➡️

Steady new buyers — ~124 new funds per quarter

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening this position for the first time: 152 → 158 → 125 → 124. A stable flow of new institutional buyers suggests ongoing interest without signs of either acceleration or slowdown.
🔒

42% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 42% conviction (2yr+) ■ 25% medium ■ 33% new
253 out of 606 hedge funds have held AVAV for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
💎

Buying through price weakness — shares -2%, value -47%

Value
-46%
Shares
-2%
Last quarter: funds added -2% more shares while total portfolio value only changed -47%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.
📊

Peak discovery — momentum slowing

57 → 152 → 158 → 125 → 124 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 152 → 158 → 125 → 124. AVAV is well-known in the hedge fund world, but fresh entries are gradually declining. The explosive phase of institutional discovery is likely behind us.
🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 49% veterans vs 37% newcomers

■ 49% veterans ■ 13% 1-2yr ■ 37% new
Entry-cohort mix of 643 holders: 318 (49%) are 2+ year veterans, 85 entered 1–2 years ago, and 240 (37%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.
✅

Strong quality — 36% AUM from major funds

36% from top-100 AUM funds
59 of 601 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 36% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.
4.3
out of 10
Moderate Exit Risk
Exit risk score 4.3/10 — some crowding factors present, but no critical concentration. Watch ownership trend over the next 1–2 quarters for direction.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Institutional Sentiment Summary — AVAV

In 2026 Q1, 397 hedge funds were net buyers of AVAV (124 opened a new position, 273 added to an existing one), while 263 reduced or exited (149 trimmed, 114 sold completely) — a 60% buyer ratio, indicating clear institutional accumulation. This marks 4 consecutive quarters of net institutional buying — a persistent conviction signal. 36% of total institutional value in AVAV is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting strong institutional quality. Net fund flow last quarter: +10 funds (more new holders than closures). Total institutional holders: 606.

Hedge Fund Ownership: AVAV

How many hedge funds hold AVAV — quarterly history vs. share price
Quarterly hedge fund ownership of AVAV vs. share price

Market Analysis: AVAV

Analyst Price Targets

Avg. Price Target
--

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Real-time

Company Profile: AVAV

-- --

Institutional ownership data sourced from SEC EDGAR Form 13F-HR filings.

Is It Too Late to Buy Aerovironment Inc (AVAV) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Signal Freshness measures how much AVAV has moved relative to its sector benchmark (XLI) since the 2026 Q1 13F filing. A stock that has barely outrun its sector is still a relatively fresh entry point — the fund's thesis has not yet been priced in by the broader market.

Since Quarter End March 31, 2026 · 79d ago
AVAV
-8.7%
XLI
+11.0%

AVAV outperformed XLI by -19.7% since March 31, 2026.

Since 13F Filing Date May 15, 2026 · 34d ago
AVAV
+5.8%
XLI
+4.8%

Since the filing became public, AVAV outperformed XLI by +1.0% .

Interpretation: The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference. Learn more →

Smart Money Signal ?
Broad Consensus, Selective Conviction

Many quality funds hold this stock, but top-tier positions remain relatively small.

46 top-rated funds 2 high-conviction
Consensus
7.3
/ 10
breadth
×
Elite
2.7
/ 10
conviction
Hedge Fund Positioning: AVAV
605 + Investors

Track Smart Money conviction in AVAV. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Metric All 13F Filers (2026 Q1) Prior (2025 Q4) Change
Funds Holding 605 596 1.51%
13F Shares 34M 35M -2.23%
Total Value $6.02B $11.32B -46.84%
New Positions 123 125 -2
Increased Positions 270 223 +47
Closed Positions 114 104 +10
Reduced Positions 133 166 -33
Total Calls 22 16 37.5%
Total Puts 20 13 53.85%
PUT/CALL Ratio 0.91 0.81 Neutral

Statistics: AVAV

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Valuation Measures Data as of: --

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PEG Ratio (5yr expected) --
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Enterprise Value/EBITDA --
Beta (5Y Monthly) --
Short Ratio (Days to Cover) --
Short % of Float --

Financial Highlights

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Profit Margin --
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Diluted EPS (ttm) --
Total Cash (mrq) --
Total Debt/Equity (mrq) --
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Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

605 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in AVAV. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:
Top 25 AVAV holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
# Investor % of Portfolio Shares Mkt Value
1 Heard Capital LLC 6.83% 721,352 $132.0M
2 Spear Advisors LLC 6.23% 45,700 $8.4M
3 Peregrine Investment Management Inc 5.76% 40,000 $7.3M
4 American Capital Management Inc 4.29% 436,367 $79.9M
5 AWM Investment Company, Inc. 2.65% 130,658 $23.9M
6 Deepwater Asset Management, LLC 2.63% 22,640 $4.1M
7 Reliant Investment Management, LLC 2.03% 22,985 $4.2M
8 MYDA Advisors LLC 1.26% 42,000 $7.7M
9 Stephens Investment Management Group LLC 1.23% 490,426 $89.8M
10 Sittner & Nelson, LLC 1.15% 17,160 $3.1M
11 KADENSA CAPITAL Ltd 1.12% 43,871 $8.0M
12 MADDEN SECURITIES Corp 1.11% 20,092 $3.7M
13 Emerald Advisers, LLC 1.04% 179,874 $32.9M
14 Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust 1.00% 112,407 $20.6M
15 Delphi Financial Group, INC. 1.00% 12,085 $2.2M
16 Evolutionary Tree Capital Management, LLC 0.98% 2,849 $522K
17 M & L Capital Management Ltd 0.94% 20,900 $3.8M
18 Seven Grand Managers, LLC 0.92% 75,000 $13.7M
19 Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc 0.84% 7,136 $1.3M
20 ARK Investment Management LLC 0.80% 559,254 $102.4M
21 Outfitters Financial LLC 0.73% 5,125 $938K
22 Champlain Investment Partners, LLC 0.69% 295,077 $54.0M
23 Intellectus Partners, LLC 0.68% 18,307 $3.4M
24 AlphaCentric Advisors LLC 0.67% 3,644 $667K
25 Future Fund LLC 0.65% 10,173 $1.9M
Investor Ownership
History 		% of Portfolio Prev % Rank Conviction Avg Buy Price 13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y Sell Timing Shares Mkt Value Change Change % Source Quarter Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — Aerovironment Inc (AVAV)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for AVAV?

Buying streak — 4 quarters in a row: For 4 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added AVAV than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.

What is the institutional breadth score for AVAV?

More buyers than sellers — 60% buying: Last quarter: 397 funds were net buyers (124 opened a brand new position + 273 added to an existing one). Only 263 were sellers (149 trimmed + 114 sold completely). A clear majority buying is a strong confirmation signal.

What is the fund quality score for AVAV holders?

Strong quality — 36% AUM from major funds: 59 of 601 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 36% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.

How long have hedge funds held AVAV?

42% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 253 out of 606 hedge funds have held AVAV for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy Aerovironment Inc (AVAV) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, AVAV has moved +5.8% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +4.8% for the XLI sector ETF — an outperformance of +1.0%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), AVAV has gained -8.7% vs +11.0% for XLI. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Institutional holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings and reflects positions as of the filing date. Past performance of any fund or portfolio is not indicative of future results. 13Foresight is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.

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