Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) Stock: Insider Deanna Lund Sells 7,000 Shares

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) CFO Deanna Lund sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.78, for a total transaction of $341,460.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 273,511 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,341,866.58. This trade represents a 2.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ KTOS opened at $47.02 on Friday. 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, Inc. has a 12 month low of $43.09 and a 12 month high of $134.00. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $51.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $59.31. The stock 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 (NASDAQ:KTOS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The aerospace company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.07. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a net margin of 2.03% and a return on equity of 3.07%. The business had revenue of $458.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $410.36 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.11 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 30.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on KTOS. Guggenheim initiated coverage on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Monday, September 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $74.00 price objective for the company. Piper Sandler raised Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $75.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $100.00 to $89.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Truist Financial decreased their price target on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $135.00 to $104.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Wedbush assumed coverage on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $85.00 price objective on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $98.06.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,446,230 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $337,565,000 after purchasing an additional 148,622 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 12.2% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,515,997 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $106,893,000 after purchasing an additional 164,607 shares in the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC grew its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 48.5% in the fourth quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,458,084 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $110,683,000 after purchasing an additional 476,049 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 66.0% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,398,525 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $106,162,000 after purchasing an additional 556,036 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $104,807,000. 75.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

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

• 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.

About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

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.