1,380,669 Shares in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. $KTOS Acquired by Norges Bank

Key Points

• Norges Bank disclosed a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, buying 1,380,669 shares valued at about $104.8 million. The position represents roughly 0.82% of the company.
• Kratos recently beat quarterly expectations, reporting earnings of $0.16 per share on revenue of $371 million, with revenue up 22.6% year over year. Analysts now expect the company to earn about $0.50 per share for the full fiscal year.
• Wall Street sentiment remains constructive, with multiple firms raising targets or ratings and the stock holding a Moderate Buy consensus and average price target of $96.28. The article also notes strong institutional ownership at 75.92% and recent insider selling that may weigh on sentiment.

Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 1,380,669 shares of the aerospace company's stock, valued at approximately $104,807,000. Norges Bank owned approximately 0.82% of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KTOS. Greenleaf Trust increased its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 3,830 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $291,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. LVW Advisors LLC increased its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. LVW Advisors LLC now owns 3,665 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $278,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co increased its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 1,698 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $129,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC increased its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC now owns 37,776 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $2,868,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dupree Financial Group LLC increased its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Dupree Financial Group LLC now owns 23,817 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $1,808,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.92% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on KTOS shares. Jefferies Financial Group set a $80.00 target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Sunday, May 10th. BNP Paribas Exane raised their target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Clear Str raised Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Truist Financial raised Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group raised their target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating 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 assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $96.28.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Trading Down 7.7%

KTOS opened at $58.52 on Friday. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 12 month low of $37.90 and a 12 month high of $134.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 344.24 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 5.63 and a quick ratio of 5.08. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $63.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $80.56.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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 return on equity of 2.82% and a net margin of 2.08%.The firm had revenue of $371.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $345.00 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.12 EPS. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions's revenue for the quarter was up 22.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Kratos announced/was highlighted for multiple new defense contract wins spanning rocket motors, missile-defense infrastructure, unmanned aircraft, and secure communications, reinforcing its growth outlook and broader international footprint. Kratos Contract Wins Signal Shift Toward Broader Global Defense Role
• Positive Sentiment: Kratos is being viewed as a beneficiary of a defense-budget proposal and expanding Pentagon spending priorities, which can lift expectations for future orders across drones, hypersonics, and related defense systems. Defense Budget Proposal Fuels Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS) Stock Surge
• Positive Sentiment: Recent articles emphasized Kratos’ roughly $14.3 billion pipeline and expansion across drones, hypersonics, and satellite systems, suggesting continued revenue opportunities beyond the latest quarter. KTOS Stock Declines 6% in a Month: Opportunity or Warning Sign?
• Neutral Sentiment: Post-earnings coverage noted that investors are still evaluating whether the stock’s recent run is justified by earnings estimates and forward guidance rather than just momentum. Why Is Kratos (KTOS) Up 11.2% Since Last Earnings Report?
• Negative Sentiment: CFO Deanna Lund sold 5,000 shares in a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 transaction, which can add mild pressure to sentiment even though the sale was planned and relatively small versus her remaining stake. Deanna Lund Sells 5,000 Shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions NASDAQ: KTOS Stock

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Phillip D. Carrai sold 6,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.07, for a total transaction of $578,955.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 234,292 shares of the company's stock, valued at $20,868,388.44. The trade was a 2.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Jonah Adelman sold 31,348 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.06, for a total value of $1,788,716.88. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $456,480. The trade was a 79.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 183,564 shares of company stock worth $12,745,304 over the last three months. Company insiders own 1.50% 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.

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