Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS – Get Free Report) CFO Deanna Lund sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.55, for a total value of $242,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 280,487 shares in the company, valued at $13,617,643.85. This trade represents a 1.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Up 6.7%
NASDAQ KTOS traded up $3.47 on Wednesday, reaching $55.34. The company had a trading volume of 9,191,001 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,587,887. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 5.63 and a quick ratio of 5.08. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 1 year low of $43.09 and a 1 year high of $134.00. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $52.50 and a 200-day moving average of $71.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.38 billion, a PE ratio of 325.53 and a beta of 1.08.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The aerospace company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.07. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a net margin of 2.03% and a return on equity of 3.37%. The company had revenue of $458.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $410.36 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.11 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 30.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Key Kratos Defense & Security Solutions News
- Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter results beat expectations. Kratos reported adjusted earnings of $0.21 per share, up from $0.11 a year earlier and above the roughly $0.13-$0.14 consensus. Revenue rose 30.5% year over year to $458.8 million, exceeding estimates near $410 million. Kratos Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
- Positive Sentiment: Growth was broad-based. Kratos Government Solutions revenue increased 36.4% to $379.7 million, while Unmanned Systems revenue rose 8.1% to $79.1 million. Management cited demand across hypersonics, space, jet engines, counter-drone systems and unmanned aircraft, along with strong bookings. Kratos Defense Q2 Earnings and Revenues Outpace Estimates
- Positive Sentiment: Management raised its outlook. Full-year 2026 revenue guidance was lifted to approximately $1.8 billion, above the roughly $1.7 billion analyst consensus, with projected organic revenue growth of 19%-23%. Kratos also outlined plans to produce 3,000 Spartan engines in 2027. Kratos 2026 Organic Growth Forecast
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment improved. Piper Sandler upgraded KTOS, citing a buying opportunity, while BTIG raised its price target to $104 and maintained a Buy rating. The upgrades reinforce the view that the earnings beat and raised outlook may have been overly discounted by the market. Kratos Defense Upgraded at Piper Sandler
- Neutral Sentiment: Near-term guidance was roughly in line. Third-quarter revenue guidance of $460 million-$480 million brackets the $462.8 million consensus estimate, suggesting continued growth but limited immediate upside from the next-quarter forecast. Kratos Defense Rallies on Results and Upgrade
- Neutral Sentiment: Call-option activity was elevated, with 13,877 contracts purchased versus average daily volume of 10,153, indicating increased bullish speculation but not a fundamental change in the business.
- Negative Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald lowered its price target from $115 to $100, although it retained an Overweight rating. Kratos also continues to trade at a demanding valuation, making the stock sensitive to any slowdown in growth or execution.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Greenleaf Trust raised its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 3,830 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $291,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co lifted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 1,698 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $129,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 5,918 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $449,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 6.9% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,945 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $148,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC now owns 37,776 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $2,868,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.92% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several analysts have recently weighed in on KTOS shares. Wedbush began coverage on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $85.00 target price for the company. Piper Sandler upgraded Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $75.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Citizens Jmp lowered their price objective on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $125.00 to $105.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $99.00 to $82.00 in a report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group set a $135.00 target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Wednesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $102.41.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on KTOS
About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc (NASDAQ: KTOS) is a technology-driven company that specializes in national security and defense solutions for government and military customers. The firm’s core capabilities span unmanned systems, satellite communications, missile defense, cyber security, and directed-energy weapons. Through its integrated approach, Kratos delivers mission-critical products and services designed to enhance operational readiness and support force modernization initiatives.
In the unmanned systems arena, Kratos develops high-performance aerial platforms used as target drones, low-cost attritable aircraft and experimental stealth demonstrators.
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