Geode Capital Management LLC Increases Holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. $KTOS

Key Points

• Geode Capital Management increased its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 3.5% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 4.45 million shares valued at about $337.6 million.
• Kratos recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $0.16 versus $0.13 expected and revenue of $371 million, up 22.6% year over year.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive on KTOS, with an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $96.28, even as some analysts trimmed their targets.

Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS - Free Report) by 3.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 4,446,230 shares of the aerospace company's stock after purchasing an additional 148,622 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned 2.63% of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions worth $337,565,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of KTOS. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 7,600.0% in the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 385 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 380 shares during the period. Rakuten Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the second quarter worth $31,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the third quarter worth $32,000. Accredited Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 193.5% during the third quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 408 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 269 shares during the period. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the fourth quarter worth $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.92% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on KTOS shares. Jefferies Financial Group set a $80.00 target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Sunday, May 10th. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $99.00 to $75.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Clear Str upgraded Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $100.00 to $80.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane upped their target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $96.28.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Down 1.0%

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock opened at $63.49 on Tuesday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $11.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 373.47 and a beta of 1.04. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 1-year low of $37.30 and a 1-year high of $134.00. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $65.33 and a 200-day moving average price of $80.97.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The aerospace company reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 quarter last year, the firm earned $0.12 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 22.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

In other Kratos Defense & Security Solutions news, insider Steven S. Fendley sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.59, for a total transaction of $487,130.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 358,023 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $24,914,820.57. This trade represents a 1.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director William A. Hoglund sold 30,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.19, for a total value of $2,171,295.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 252,500 shares in the company, valued at $17,975,475. This represents a 10.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 188,630 shares of company stock worth $13,301,792 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

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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