What: Shares of small-drone maker AeroVironment (AVAV 1.02%) surged 11% in the month of November after receiving two important contracts.
So what: The U.S. Marine Corps agreed to buy RQ-20A Puma AE drone systems for a price of $13 million. This isn't a big order, but it continues a long and prosperous relationship with the U.S. military.
On the electric-vehicle-charging side of the business, AeroVironment announced that it will provide dealer charging stations for the 2016 Sonata Plug-in Hybrid, the seventh automaker to chose the company. This gives AeroVironment a leg up in selling its TurboCord or wall-mounted charging systems to new EV buyers.
Now what: While these kinds of orders are a normal course of business, they're also important for AeroVironment investors to see. The company has been in a lull recently as it invests in growth opportunities in commercial and high-altitude drones that will take years to reach fruition. Earnings come out the afternoon of Dec. 8, so keep an eye on progress with both existing products and new products -- but for the last month the market has liked what AeroVironment is doing.
