Franklin Resources Inc. lowered its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS – Free Report) by 6.8% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 3,997,619 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 289,807 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions were worth $303,459,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Greenleaf Trust grew its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 3,830 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $291,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. LVW Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. LVW Advisors LLC now owns 3,665 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $278,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co lifted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 1,698 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $129,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC lifted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC now owns 37,776 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $2,868,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 44.1% in the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 526 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.92% of the company’s stock.
Insider Activity at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
In other news, CFO Deanna H. Lund sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.74, for a total transaction of $318,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 290,161 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,494,862.14. This trade represents a 1.69% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Stacey G. Rock sold 4,000 shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.47, for a total transaction of $261,880.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 13,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $909,771.12. This trade represents a 22.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 187,564 shares of company stock worth $12,981,944 in the last quarter. 1.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Performance
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The aerospace company reported $0.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $371.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $345.00 million. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a net margin of 2.08% and a return on equity of 2.82%. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions’s quarterly revenue was up 22.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.12 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.5 EPS for the current year.
Key Headlines Impacting Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Here are the key news stories impacting Kratos Defense & Security Solutions this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Kratos announced plans to significantly increase production capacity for its Spartan turbojet engines, which should help meet growing demand from missile and loitering munition programs and could support future revenue growth. Article: Kratos Expands Production of Spartan Engines to Support Growing Missile and Loitering Munition Demand
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Kratos’ growth engine in hypersonics and autonomous systems, noting Valkyrie drone production and improving Unmanned Systems profitability as key drivers for longer-term upside. Article: Is KTOS Building a Growth Engine in Hypersonics & Autonomous Systems?
- Neutral Sentiment: An insider, David M. Carter, sold 4,000 shares under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan. While the sale was disclosed properly and represented a small portion of his holdings, insider selling can still weigh on investor sentiment. Article: Insider sale filing
- Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary questioned whether KTOS has already priced in too much of its multiyear run, pointing to a sharp year-to-date decline despite strong longer-term gains. That valuation debate may be contributing to the stock’s weakness. Article: Is Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS) Pricing In Too Much After Its Multiyear Run?
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of brokerages have commented on KTOS. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Clear Str upgraded shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $100.00 to $80.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Piper Sandler cut their price target on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $99.00 to $75.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $82.00 price target on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $96.28.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on KTOS
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Profile
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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