AeroVironment (AVAV) just delivered a quarter that would make any CEO smile. The drone maker reported fiscal fourth-quarter results Monday that blew past Wall Street's expectations on both the top and bottom lines, sending shares soaring more than 15% in after-hours trading.
Revenue for the quarter came in at $641.62 million, easily topping the $558.81 million analysts had penciled in. Adjusted earnings of $1.84 per share also beat the consensus estimate of $1.46 per share. That's a clean double beat, and investors rewarded the stock accordingly.
“Fiscal 2026 marked a transformational year for AV, which included the completion of our largest acquisition, meaningful investments toward diversifying our portfolio in critical areas aligned to our customers’ highest priorities, and the strongest financial performance in our history,” said Wahid Nawabi, chairman, president and CEO of AeroVironment.
The numbers back him up. Total revenue jumped 133% year-over-year, fueled by a $256.7 million increase in product sales and a $109.8 million rise in service revenue. The company also reported a funded backlog of $1.2 billion as of April 30, giving it plenty of visibility into future revenue.
Looking ahead, AeroVironment guided for fiscal 2027 revenue of approximately $2.13 billion to $2.23 billion, which brackets the $2.19 billion analysts were expecting. However, the company's adjusted earnings guidance of $3.02 to $3.34 per share came in well below the $3.98 consensus. That might give some investors pause, but the market seemed focused on the strong quarter and the overall growth trajectory.
“We remain focused on executing with excellence and strengthening our supply chain to accelerate the commercialization of our platforms,” Nawabi said.
AeroVironment executives will discuss the quarter in more detail on an earnings call at 4:30 p.m. ET. For now, the after-hours action tells the story: shares were up 15.12% at $160.02 at the time of publication.
