Topic: How To Invest

Pat: What do you think about the prospects of these two drone stocks: AeroVironment and Elbit System?

Article Excerpt

AeroVironment Inc., $40.25, symbol AVAV on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 22.7 million; Market cap: $916.3 million; www.avinc.com), makes unmanned surveillance aircraft and sells fast-charge systems for industrial vehicle batteries. Its main clients include agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense. The company is working with the Pentagon to develop a “hummingbird drone” that looks like an actual hummingbird and can hover and monitor potential threats. The device could eventually be used for domestic surveillance. AeroVironment’s current drone, known as the Qube, also provides video surveillance and helps authorities document crime scenes and events. It weighs about five pounds and costs $50,000. In the three months ended January 25, 2014, AeroVironment’s revenue rose 47.0%, to $69.2 million from $47.1 million a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, earnings per share jumped to $0.34 from $0.17. AeroVironment’s technology makes it a leader in drones for non-defense uses. Drones have attracted a lot of media recently. This has helped push the company’s shares up by 104% in the past…