Drone stocks fell in 2026 even as backlogs hit records: Ukraine turned aircraft into ammunition, and the Pentagon's 2027 request holds nearly $75B for drones and counter-drone. AeroVironment's reordered loitering munitions and Kratos's jet drones are highest conviction. Counter-drone names Ondas, Axon, Motorola Solutions, Safe Pro, DroneShield and Rheinmetall gain as threats grow, Unusual Machines from Chinese-parts bans. Primes bury drone exposure; pure plays may not convert backlog. x.com  … Show more

Drone makers AeroVironment, Kratos and Ondas look set for another strong run after the Trump administration imposed a 100% tariff on foreign-made drones, per @unusual_whales citing the NYT. Defense names including Lockheed Martin, RTX and General Dynamics are easy buys now ahead of a golden era in 2027-2028. As @fundmyfund notes, 2026 has been awful for many of these stocks, but long-term charts show big bases that can fuel powerful moves, and defense funding should arrive in coming weeks. x.com  … Show more

Red Cat's financial future looks uncertain: Q1 revenue was $15.5M against $29.3M of operating expenses, and its 13% gross margin has no clear path to the 30% target. Combat validation for its USVs belongs to a partner platform; its own Valdosta-built vessels are new and unproven in a named theater. It is too concentrated in aerial ISR, and the earnings call did not inspire confidence. Ondas, with 49% gross margins, over $1B raised and EBITDA-positive product units, is more compelling. x.com  … Show more

A US military-budget increase would be well-timed for defense stocks as most appear to be bottoming or sitting on support. If history repeats, one will probably be announced soon. Since the earlier sell signals, Amprius is down about 42%, AeroVironment about 60% and Ondas about 54%; many other names also look oversold. x.com 

Lockheed Martin is a strong geopolitical diversifier alongside the energy complex for investors heavily long semiconductors. It landed a Pentagon deal for 850 F-35 jets and raised its annual forecast; the multi-model signal has been long since October 16. x.com 

AeroVironment's latest print was solid but not full confirmation that profitability is on track. Revenue and EPS beat, funded backlog reached $1.5B and AxS grew 21%, validating demand, but SCDE fell 21% and EBITDA declined year over year. Even after the brutal defense selloff since Q1, whether the stock has bottomed is still unclear. x.com 

Red Cat Holdings looks near the end of a two-year consolidation, with upside to the 1.272 Fibonacci extension at $30. Its long-term chart forms a massive inverse head and shoulders and a large ascending triangle with higher lows, while holding a rising 100-week EMA and the 0.887 Fibonacci level at $8.17. It is tied to big defense themes such as drone automation and autonomous warfare, and small caps sit at all-time highs. It is extremely volatile, with 20% daily swings possible. x.com  x.com 

AeroVironment is a long-term buy on weakness because its counter-drone and directed-energy position keeps strengthening while the chart stays depressed. It won a $464.8M US Army LOCUST contract, its first US production contract for high-energy lasers, plus a >$50M international order, and is one of four systems in the US counter-drone directed-energy pilot ahead of a December shoot-off. The stock has built a $135-150 range for three months with improving MFI, a potential bullish divergence. … Show more

Small-cap defense stocks such as Red Cat, AEVEX and Kraken Robotics look like buying opportunities after a sell-the-news drop following the Iran strikes, because the thesis has only gotten stronger. The U.S. lacks enough drones, interceptors, mine-hunting technology and critical metals, and a proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget should bring a wave of fresh contracts as it advances. The Iran war is a major catalyst even though Lockheed, Kratos and Red Cat have fallen 15-19% in a month. x.com 

Trump's 100% tariffs on foreign-made drones should send demand soaring for US drone makers and suppliers. AeroVironment has a $1.2B funded backlog; Kratos has a $2.1B backlog and jet drones with no foreign substitute; Ondas, the fastest grower, posted a record $83.8M quarter. Red Cat's Black Widow is an Army program of record, Unusual Machines makes 15,000 NDAA-compliant motors a month, AIRO has a $163M drone backlog and LightPath's US-made infrared optics become the default. x.com  x.com  x.com  … Show more