Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) Stock Price Up 6.2% Following Analyst Upgrade

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) shot up 6.2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday after Wedbush upgraded the stock to a strong-buy rating. The stock traded as high as $51.47 and last traded at $49.86. Approximately 5,611,314 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 23% from the average session volume of 4,571,764 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.95.

KTOS has been the topic of a number of other reports. Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price objective on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. BNP Paribas Exane boosted their target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. BTIG Research decreased their price target on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $115.00 to $100.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Truist Financial upgraded Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $100.44.

Insider Transactions at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

In other news, insider Phillip D. Carrai sold 6,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.13, for a total transaction of $338,845.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 221,550 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,549,401.50. This represents a 2.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Deanna H. Lund sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.10, for a total transaction of $310,500.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 295,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,331,920. This represents a 1.67% 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 three months, insiders have sold 151,778 shares of company stock valued at $9,063,063. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

More Kratos Defense & Security Solutions News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kratos Defense & Security Solutions this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kratos announced an approximate $36 million sole-source contract for a new air defense missile system, reinforcing demand for its defense hardware and boosting investor confidence in near-term revenue. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Wedbush initiated coverage with a Strong Buy rating and an $85 price target, calling KTOS a “misunderstood” supplier across the U.S. defense ecosystem. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Kratos also won an agreement to become the exclusive U.S. manufacturer for Elroy Air and entered an initial joint venture with Barq Group in Abu Dhabi, which could expand its uncrewed systems and international footprint. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Optimism around the proposed Golden Dome missile defense initiative has highlighted KTOS as a potential long-term supplier, adding to the bullish defense narrative. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Broader defense-sector strength also helped, after AeroVironment’s strong results reinforced demand trends for military drone and autonomous systems companies like Kratos. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider Steven Fendley sold 7,000 shares under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan; the sale was disclosed as routine and may be more noise than a major fundamental signal. Article Title

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp raised its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 7,600.0% in the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 385 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Vision Retirement LLC lifted its position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 288.2% in the 1st quarter. Vision Retirement LLC now owns 427 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 317 shares during the period. Rakuten Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp boosted its stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 115.4% during the 4th quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp now owns 420 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.92% of the company’s stock.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $10.38 billion, a PE ratio of 325.59 and a beta of 1.07. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $57.17 and its 200-day moving average is $77.97. The company has a quick ratio of 5.08, a current ratio of 5.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The aerospace company reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.13 by $0.03. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a net margin of 2.08% and a return on equity of 2.82%. The business had revenue of $371.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $345.00 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.12 earnings per share. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions’s quarterly revenue was up 22.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.47 EPS for the current year.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Company 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.