Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) Stock Price Up 9.3% – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) rose 9.3% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $115.45 and last traded at $113.70. Approximately 6,033,680 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 26% from the average daily volume of 4,803,142 shares. The stock had previously closed at $104.04.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman selected Kratos’ Valkyrie UAS to support the Marine Corps’ Collaborative Combat Aircraft program — a strategic, high‑visibility contract that showcases Kratos’ unmanned systems capability and could drive multi‑year revenue. Northrop Grumman to Rapidly Develop Marine Corps CCA with Kratos’ Valkyrie UAS
• Positive Sentiment: Kratos publicly backed President Trump’s emphasis on reinvestment in defense (over buybacks), aligning the company with potential policy tailwinds and larger defense budgets. Kratos Applauds Focus on Reinvestment to Strengthen Defense Readiness
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst momentum and buy ratings (including a recent Jones Research buy and $150 target cited in coverage) plus institutional buying have amplified bullish investor sentiment. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock (KTOS) Opinions on Recent Price Surge and Analyst Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large options activity: elevated call buying indicates speculative bullish positioning that can amplify intraday moves. (No single article link available for the trade alert.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks notes KTOS has jumped ~35% in a month on contract wins and unmanned system demand but warns weaker ROIC and sector risks complicate optimal entry timing. Kratos Defense Stock Rises 35.3% in a Month: Here’s How to Play
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces (Seeking Alpha / Yahoo) highlight strong revenue growth guidance but reiterate that Kratos remains unprofitable with cash burn and margin pressure — important when weighing valuation. Trump’s ‘Dream Military’ Is A Game Changer For Kratos: My Volatility Playbook
• Negative Sentiment: Heavy insider selling: disclosure and data show numerous executive sales over recent months (CEO and other senior officers have sold significant positions), which can concern investors about timing and dilution. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock (KTOS) Opinions on Recent Price Surge and Analyst Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Recent SEC/filing reports show specific large insider sales (e.g., CEO sale in the millions), reinforcing near‑term selling pressure risk. Insider Selling: Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) CEO Sells $17,306,585.72 in Stock

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have weighed in on KTOS. BNP Paribas set a $80.00 price objective on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Truist Financial set a $135.00 price target on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Friday. Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $70.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, September 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $84.47.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Trading Up 9.3%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 3.68 and a current ratio of 4.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.20 billion, a PE ratio of 874.68 and a beta of 1.09. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $78.14 and its 200-day simple moving average is $72.91.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The aerospace company reported $0.14 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.12 by $0.02. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a net margin of 1.56% and a return on equity of 3.14%. The firm had revenue of $347.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $323.01 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.11 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 26.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

In other news, CEO Eric M. Demarco sold 191,699 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.28, for a total value of $17,306,585.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 687,117 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $62,032,922.76. This represents a 21.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Thomas E. Iv Mills sold 8,523 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.98, for a total value of $792,468.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 9,802 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $911,389.96. The trade was a 46.51% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 885,511 shares of company stock worth $70,988,315. Insiders own 2.37% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KTOS. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 1,389.0% during the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,707,776 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $247,409,000 after purchasing an additional 2,525,921 shares in the last quarter. Rovida Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $82,315,000. Voya Investment Management LLC increased its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 129.2% during the 1st quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 2,163,223 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $64,226,000 after buying an additional 1,219,585 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 29.6% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,086,494 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $236,268,000 after buying an additional 1,162,577 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the third quarter valued at $91,901,000. 75.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.