Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS – Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-three brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $98.06.
Several research firms have issued reports on KTOS. Piper Sandler raised shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $75.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Cantor Fitzgerald reduced their target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $115.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Guggenheim assumed coverage on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Monday, September 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $74.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $100.00 to $89.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Wedbush began coverage on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $85.00 price objective on the stock.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on KTOS
Key Headlines Impacting Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
- Positive Sentiment: Kratos and GE Aerospace successfully ignited their jointly developed GEK800 turbofan engine on September 21. The milestone advances a potentially scalable, lower-cost propulsion system for drones and cruise missiles, supporting Kratos’ exposure to next-generation defense programs. Full Throttle: Kratos and GE Fire Up a Next-Gen Defense Engine
- Positive Sentiment: Growing concern about drone attacks on critical infrastructure is keeping attention on companies involved in drones, propulsion, and counter-drone systems. Kratos was included among defense stocks with revenue-growth potential. 3 Drone Defense Stocks With Revenue Growth Up To 44%
- Neutral Sentiment: Reports show the company’s CFO sold 7,000 shares for approximately $341,460 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. Because the sale was scheduled in advance and the CFO still owns 273,511 shares, it is not necessarily a signal of deteriorating fundamentals. SEC insider transaction filing
- Neutral Sentiment: A short-interest update reports zero shares sold short and a zero-day days-to-cover ratio. That figure appears inconsistent with the description of a large increase in short interest, so it provides little dependable insight into current trading pressure.
- Negative Sentiment: The CFO’s sale may weigh on sentiment alongside reports of recent insider selling. KTOS also trades below its major moving averages and at an elevated valuation, leaving limited room for disappointing contract wins, growth, or profitability.
Insider Buying and Selling at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
In related news, CEO Eric Demarco sold 300,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.33, for a total value of $19,299,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 761,632 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $48,995,786.56. This represents a 28.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Deanna Lund sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.78, for a total transaction of $341,460.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 273,511 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,341,866.58. The trade was a 2.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 396,188 shares of company stock worth $24,636,142. Insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of KTOS. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 245.2% in the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 601,674 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $45,673,000 after purchasing an additional 427,396 shares in the last quarter. Paradigm Capital Management Inc. NY acquired a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $34,842,000. Bamco Inc. NY purchased a new position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the second quarter worth $53,746,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 48.0% in the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,056,872 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $74,520,000 after buying an additional 342,789 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the fourth quarter worth $104,807,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.92% of the company’s stock.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Up 1.9%
NASDAQ:KTOS opened at $47.02 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $8.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 276.59 and a beta of 1.11. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has a twelve month low of $43.09 and a twelve month high of $134.00. The company has a current ratio of 5.54, a quick ratio of 4.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $51.64 and a 200-day simple moving average of $59.31.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The aerospace company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $458.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $410.36 million. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a net margin of 2.03% and a return on equity of 3.07%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 30.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.11 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions will post 0.57 EPS for the current year.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Company Profile
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc is a technology company that develops products and systems for national security, defense and commercial applications. The company primarily serves the U.S. Department of Defense and other government agencies, while also supporting allied governments and selected commercial customers.
Its offerings include unmanned aerial and ground systems, target drones, tactical drones, satellite communications systems, space-related products, missile defense technology, hypersonic and high-speed systems, radar and command-and-control solutions, and microwave electronics.
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