Clearbridge Investments LLC Has $110.68 Million Stock Holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. $KTOS

Key Points

• Clearbridge Investments boosted its Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stake by 48.5% in the fourth quarter, ending with 1.46 million shares valued at about $110.7 million.
• Institutional ownership remains heavy, with hedge funds and other institutions holding 75.92% of Kratos shares. Several other large investors also increased positions during recent quarters.
• Kratos reported strong first-quarter results, beating earnings and revenue estimates, while analysts remain broadly positive with a consensus Moderate Buy rating and a price target of $96.28.

Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS - Free Report) by 48.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,458,084 shares of the aerospace company's stock after acquiring an additional 476,049 shares during the quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC owned about 0.86% of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions worth $110,683,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,446,230 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $337,565,000 after acquiring an additional 148,622 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 29.5% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,068,863 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $280,402,000 after acquiring an additional 698,778 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 7.4% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,046,194 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $278,331,000 after acquiring an additional 209,189 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 1,389.0% in the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,707,776 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $247,409,000 after acquiring an additional 2,525,921 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 13.6% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 2,072,700 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $189,383,000 after acquiring an additional 247,652 shares during the last quarter. 75.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Steven S. Fendley sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.59, for a total value of $487,130.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 358,023 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,914,820.57. This represents a 1.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Jonah Adelman sold 31,348 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.06, for a total transaction of $1,788,716.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 8,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $456,480. This represents a 79.67% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 183,564 shares of company stock worth $12,745,304. Insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KTOS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Clear Str upgraded shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $80.00 price objective on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Sunday, May 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $100.00 to $80.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Citizens Jmp reduced their price objective on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $125.00 to $105.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $115.00 price objective on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $96.28.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Performance

Shares of KTOS stock opened at $58.52 on Monday. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 1 year low of $37.90 and a 1 year high of $134.00. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $63.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $80.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 344.24 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a current ratio of 5.63, a quick ratio of 5.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The aerospace company reported $0.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $345.00 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.12 earnings per share. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions's revenue was up 22.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.5 EPS for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

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

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KTOS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.