AeroVironment (AVAV) RSU sell-vs-hold
Calculator · free · no signup · AVAVSell at vest or hold? Compare after-tax payout from selling AeroVironment RSUs at vest vs. holding through the LTCG cliff at 12 months.
Beta · invite-only · AlphaLatitude Inc. · Free Tools
Your vest
Tax inputs
Hold strategy
Best after-tax payout — at year 1 yr
$47,709
Sell + invest wins by $4,981 over Hold 1 yr.
Estimates only. Not financial advice.
Heads-up: under-withholding. Your employer withholds federal tax at the IRS supplemental rate (22.0% on this vest, ≈ $17,600). Your marginal federal rate on this vest is 32.7%, owing $26,171. Expect to settle the $8,571 gap at tax time.
The hidden purchase
Tax was paid at vest either way. Holding is mathematically equivalent to taking $44,509 in after-tax cash and buying $44,509 of AVAV today.
Most diversification frameworks would advise against a purchase that size in a single name; the right answer depends on your conviction in AVAV. Holding past one year converts the gain to LTCG.
Sell + invest
Best payout| Vest value (shares × price) | $80,000 |
| Federal | |
| State | |
| Medicare | −$1,160 |
| Additional Medicare | −$720 |
| Market gain over 1 yr at 10.0% | $4,451 |
| Cap-gain tax on diversified gain — LTCG (federal + state + NIIT) | −$1,251 |
| Net at year 1 yr | $47,709 |
Sell every share at vest; invest the after-tax cash at the market return for 1 yr, then liquidate. Diversified — no single-stock concentration risk.
Hold 1 yr
| Vest value (shares × price) | $80,000 |
| Vest tax (federal + state + FICA) | |
| Net at year 1 yr | $42,728 |
Sold 444 shares to cover vest tax (net-settled); kept 556 shares 1 yr to qualify for long-term capital gains.
Social Security + Medicare are payroll taxes (collectively called FICA) — they apply because you're still employed at vest.
Both columns are stated in year-1 yr dollars. The sell side compounds at the market return; the hold side compounds at your single-stock expected return after a 20% volatility drag.
Estimates only. Assumes net-settled (sell-to-cover) vesting; double-trigger and pre-IPO RSUs are out of scope. Excludes multi-state moves, AMT interactions on other equity, and 83(b) elections. Not financial advice.
You evaluated one RSU vest. The beta plans every vest of every grant across years, with concentration and AMT in the loop.
Request beta access →Related calculators: RSU Lot Order Calculator · Stock Concentration Calculator
About AeroVironment
AeroVironment (AVAV) is a public Aerospace/Defense company, incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Arlington, VA.
Equity grants at AeroVironment typically include restricted stock units (RSUs).
AeroVironment, Inc., also known as AV, is an American defense technology company headquartered in Arlington, Virginia that designs and manufactures autonomous systems, counter-UAS systems, and space systems. The company was founded in 1971 by Paul B. MacCready Jr., a designer of human-powered aircraft. The company provides the US Department of Defense and foreign militaries with small and medium-sized drones—notably the Raven, Switchblade, Wasp, and Puma. Through its acquisition of BlueHalo in 2025, the company provides directed energy and space communications systems to U.S. and foreign militaries.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Paul MacCready founded the company in 1971 and built the Gossamer Condor, the first human-powered aircraft to complete a figure-eight course, then the solar Helios. Defense work became the business: hand-launched Raven and Puma reconnaissance drones, and Switchblade loitering munitions that soldiers carry in a backpack, both used extensively in Ukraine. The 2021 Arcturus UAV purchase added larger systems and the 2025 BlueHalo deal added space and directed energy. Headquarters are in Arlington, Virginia.
Sources: avinc.com · en.wikipedia.org
Equity comp at AeroVironment
- RSUs use single-trigger vesting: shares become yours as each portion vests on schedule, and the value is taxed as ordinary income at that point. No IPO or acquisition is required.
Researched 2026-08-17.
OptionsAhoy is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by AeroVironment.
AeroVironment (AVAV) RSUs vest as ordinary income at the price on vest day. The decision is whether to sell at vest and reinvest, or hold the shares through the 12-month LTCG cliff. This calculator runs both paths through the same after-tax math so you can compare like-for-like.
All AeroVironment tools → · Use the generic RSU Sell-vs-Hold Calculator for any company. Diversifying multiple RSU lots? See the lot-by-lot sell order →
AeroVironment equity questions
- Should I sell or hold my AeroVironment RSUs at vest?
- AeroVironment restricted stock units (RSUs) are taxed as ordinary income on their value at vest whether or not you sell. The only open decision is what to do with the shares afterward: sell at vest and reinvest, or hold past twelve months for long-term capital-gains treatment on any further gain. The calculator above runs both paths through the same after-tax math so you can compare them directly.
- Does AeroVironment grant ISOs, NSOs, or RSUs?
- Equity compensation at AeroVironment typically takes the form of restricted stock units (RSUs). Restricted stock units are taxed as ordinary income when they vest.
- Do AeroVironment RSUs use double-trigger vesting?
- No. AeroVironment restricted stock units (RSUs) use single-trigger vesting: each tranche becomes yours as it vests on schedule, taxed as ordinary income at that point, with no liquidity event required.
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