Many aerospace stocks are outperforming the S&P 500 nearly two months into 2026. That’s based on the performance of the SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (NYSEARCA: XAR). The fund is up about 16.2% whereas the S&P is up just over 1%.
That makes AeroVironment Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) a laggard in the sector. AVAV stock is “only” up about 5.5% in 2026. However, that's due to a brutal selloff over the past month.
