Key UAV & Drone Stocks
AeroVironment (AVAV)
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A pure-play U.S. drone manufacturer known for tactical UAVs like Raven, Switchblade, Wasp, and Puma economictimes.indiatimes.com+15en.wikipedia.org+15exoswan.com+15.
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Recently awarded a nearly $1?billion U.S. Army contract for Switchblade drones investors.com.
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Experienced strong sales growth (approx. +24?% year-over-year) but had mixed earnings guidance investopedia.com+10investors.com+10levelfields.ai+10.
AgEagle Aerial Systems (UAVS)
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A micro-cap public company focused on drone tech for agriculture and environmental monitoring.
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Trades around $1.30 and represents higher-risk, high-volatility exposure to the UAV sector.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS)
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Specializes in military jet-powered drones (e.g., XQ-58 Valkyrie) and swarm/UAS systems blog.dronedesk.io+2investorplace.com+2marketbeat.com+2blog.dronedesk.io+1marketbeat.com+1marketbeat.com+2insidermonkey.com+25starsstocks.com+2.
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Saw strong recent growth and received bullish analyst coverage barrons.com.
Northrop Grumman (NOC)
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Major defense contractor with advanced UAV platforms (RQ?4 Global Hawk, MQ?4C Triton, MQ?8 Fire Scout) marketbeat.com+2fool.com+2en.wikipedia.org+2.
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Offers reliable dividend income and stable cash flow, appealing to conservative investors insidermonkey.com+2fool.com+2marketwatch.com+2.
Lockheed Martin (LMT), Boeing (BA), Raytheon (RTX)
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These defense giants include UAV tech within their broader aerospace portfolios: stealth drones (LMT), aerial refueling drones (BA), and counter-drone systems (RTX) fool.com+6exoswan.com+6marketwatch.com+6.
Emerging/Emerging-Edge Players
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Red Cat Holdings (RCAT) – Focused on AI?enabled tactical drones, recently secured U.S. DoD contracts analyzestocks.com+1blog.dronedesk.io+1.
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EHang (EH) – Chinese eVTOL pioneer with passenger drones; approved for commercial operations in China in March 2025 levelfields.ai+1en.wikipedia.org+1.
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Others: Draganfly (DPRO), Primoco?UAV (PRIUA), DroneShield (DRO), Drone Delivery Canada (FLT), Toktron (TXT) blog.dronedesk.io+1en.wikipedia.org+1.
Recent Market News
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AIRO, a smaller drone-focused IPO, surged ~140?% to $24 on its debut, driven by military surveillance and commercial drone interest barrons.com+1barrons.com+1.
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eVTOL companies Joby and Archer spiked 20–27?% after a Trump administration executive order backing U.S. development of unmanned and electric aircraft investors.com+12barrons.com+12investopedia.com+12.
At-a-Glance Comparison
| Company | Focus | Risk/Type |
|---|---|---|
| AVAV | Tactical military UAVs | Mid-cap pure play |
| UAVS | Agri/environmental drone systems | Micro-cap speculative |
| KTOS | Jet-powered military & swarm drones | Mid-cap, growth-focused |
| NOC, LMT, BA, RTX | Broad defense + drone platforms | Large-cap stability |
| RCAT, EH | Specialty/differentiated UAV & eVTOL | Small/mid-cap niche |
Next Steps
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If you're looking for high-growth within the pure-play drone niche, consider AVAV or KTOS, but be prepared for volatility.
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For more stability and income, major defense contractors like Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing integrate UAVs as part of larger portfolios.
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Interested in emerging drone tech? Look into RCAT or eVTOL innovators like Joby, Archer, and EHang.
