Insider Selling: Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) Insider Sells $1,676,125.00 in Stock

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) insider Phillip Carrai sold 26,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.25, for a total transaction of $1,676,125.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 182,084 shares in the company, valued at $11,516,813. This represents a 12.70% decrease in their position. 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 Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:KTOS opened at $57.17 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.73 billion, a PE ratio of 336.29 and a beta of 1.08. 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 fifty day moving average price of $52.76 and a 200 day moving average price of $66.79. The company has a current ratio of 5.54, a quick ratio of 4.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The aerospace company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.07. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a return on equity of 3.07% and a net margin of 2.03%.The company had revenue of $458.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $410.36 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.11 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 30.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $99.00 to $82.00 in a report on Friday, June 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $100.00 to $89.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. BTIG Research lifted their price target on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $100.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from a “hold (c)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $134.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $99.47.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: President Trump’s new tariffs on foreign drones and related components could give U.S. manufacturers, including Kratos, a competitive policy advantage by redirecting demand toward domestic suppliers. China’s objections to the tariffs underscore the potential importance of the measure. Trump’s New Drone Tariffs Give AeroVironment, Kratos and Red Cat a Policy Tailwind
• Positive Sentiment: Investor focus remains on Kratos’ expansion phase. The company reportedly has a $2.08 billion backlog and is increasing production capacity through 2028 to meet defense demand, particularly in unmanned systems, hypersonics and satellite communications. Is Kratos Defense Entering the Scale-Up Phase of Defense Modernization?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results provide fundamental support: revenue rose 30.5% year over year to $458.8 million, while EPS of $0.21 exceeded the $0.14 consensus estimate. The strong results and ongoing defense modernization demand help explain renewed interest in KTOS. Drone Trade Rebound
• Neutral Sentiment: The broader drone-stock rebound may be fragile after a sharp selloff, leaving KTOS vulnerable to continued volatility and profit-taking.
• Negative Sentiment: Director Scot Jarvis sold 10,000 shares for approximately $635,000, following other insider sales. The transaction was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing its value as a discretionary bearish signal, but the lack of reported open-market insider purchases may weigh on sentiment. Scot Jarvis Insider Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Kratos trades at a very elevated earnings multiple, so investors may demand sustained growth, production execution and margin improvement. Any disappointment could have an outsized effect on the stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in KTOS. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 22.6% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 190,481 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $5,655,000 after buying an additional 35,098 shares during the last quarter. Amundi acquired a new position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the first quarter worth approximately $791,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 64.4% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,315 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 515 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 178.0% in the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 3,570 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $108,000 after acquiring an additional 2,286 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 11.7% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 393,614 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $11,686,000 after acquiring an additional 41,265 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.92% of the company’s stock.

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.