AEVEX Corp. (NYSE:AVEX) nearly doubled quarterly revenue, remained profitable, swung from a year-earlier loss, raised guidance, and announced a proposed acquisition valued at up to $650 million. Second-quarter revenue rose 99.5% to $201.8 million, while net income reached $6.7 million from an $11.8 million loss. Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA increased to $28.1 million from $3.6 million. The company agreed to acquire BlackSea Technologies for up to $650 million. Shares fell 8.2% to $20.89 in the first full trading session following the combined announcement. The question for AEVEX Corp. (NYSE:AVEX) is whether BlackSea creates a stronger autonomous-defense platform or adds dilution before the existing growth becomes diversified.
The headline growth was concentrated. AEVEX Corp. (NYSE:AVEX) generated $72.2 million from the EUCOM Deep Strike program, representing nearly 36% of quarterly revenue and more than 70% of the year-over-year dollar increase. Tactical Systems revenue climbed 141.6% to $174.2 million, while Global Solutions revenue declined 5.0% to $27.6 million.
BULL CASE: BLACKSEA CREATES A MULTI-DOMAIN PLATFORM
AEVEX Corp. (NYSE:AVEX) currently derives most of its momentum from aerial autonomous systems. BlackSea materially expands AEVEX’s surface and subsea scale and Navy access. BlackSea operates a 57,000-square-foot Baltimore facility and reports overall capacity of approximately 40 small unmanned surface vessels per month. The combination would span aerial, surface, and subsea systems rather than relying primarily on drone programs.
Management expects BlackSea to generate approximately $150 million of 2026 revenue, with adjusted EBITDA margins approximately in line with AEVEX. It also brings more than $110 million of funded backlog and over $250 million of unfunded backlog. The latter represents potential contract opportunities rather than funded, firm orders.
The existing business also has visibility. AEVEX Corp. (NYSE:AVEX) raised 2026 revenue guidance from $600 million-$620 million to $700 million-$720 million and increased its non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA outlook from $88 million-$94.5 million to $105 million-$111.5 million. The guidance excludes BlackSea, while 95.1% of AEVEX’s $259.8 million funded backlog is expected to convert within 12 months.
BEAR CASE: THE DEAL ADDS SHARES BEFORE THE MIX IS PROVEN
AEVEX Corp. (NYSE:AVEX) will pay approximately $250 million in cash and issue about 12.7 million shares valued at $350 million under the agreement. Another $50 million is tied to performance-based earnout consideration. The stock component limits immediate borrowing, but spreads future earnings across a larger share base.
The cash requirement exceeds the company’s $215.2 million quarter-end cash balance. AEVEX Corp. (NYSE:AVEX) had $100 million of debt and $275 million of undrawn delayed-term and revolving facilities, giving it financing capacity but potentially reversing part of the balance-sheet improvement achieved through its April IPO.
Management expects near-term EPS accretion before noncash purchase-accounting amortization. Investors still lack detailed pro forma margins, integration costs, and a full per-share earnings bridge. That matters because quarterly GAAP net income was only 3.3% of revenue, while the current growth profile remains heavily dependent on Deep Strike.
INSIDER MONKEY’S HEDGE FUND DATA
Insider Monkey’s first-quarter database contained no positions in AEVEX Corp. (NYSE:AVEX) because the shares began trading on April 17, after the March 31 reporting date.
CONCLUSION
AEVEX’s growth is real, and BlackSea provides credible diversification into maritime autonomy. The target adds products, customers, and production capacity that AEVEX did not previously possess at scale.
For AEVEX Corp. (NYSE:AVEX), the next proof point is per-share economics. The deal becomes attractive if BlackSea maintains comparable adjusted EBITDA margins, its funded backlog converts cleanly, and the combined platform reduces dependence on Deep Strike. Until those details emerge, the outlook is cautiously bullish, but conditional on disciplined integration rather than revenue expansion alone.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
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