In this video, Motley Fool industrials analyst Blake Bos takes a look at unmanned aircraft manufacturer AeroVironment (AVAV +3.63%) and its lackluster performance over the past few years. He discusses how the company has suffered recently in a difficult defense spending environment, but notes that the company recently received FAA approval for restricted commercial use. He believes that the optimism over the opportunity in the commercial/civilian sector is the reason the stock is trading at such a premium today, despite the pressures to its top line at the moment. Blake also examines the key things to watch from here and how to know if this opportunity will pan out.
One New Area Where AeroVironment Must Succeed
By Blake Bos – Sep 17, 2013 at 4:39PM
NASDAQ: AVAV
AeroVironment
Market Cap
$19B
Today's Change
(3.63%) $13.21
Current Price
$377.25
Price as of October 21, 2025 at 3:58 PM ET
One area where AeroVironment needs a strong performance if it wants to justify this share price.
About the Author
A home grown Kansan and largely self taught investor. I wouldn't classify myself by any particular investing style, just opportunistic. My dream investment would have a greater than 10% free cash flow return on enterprise value and be growing at above industry average rates. Some of my favorite industries to watch right now are: alternative energy, manufacturing, agriculture, infrastructure, and media content production companies. Follow me on any of the social media websites below for the most important 3D printing industry developments and other great stories.