Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. Boosts Holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. $KTOS

Key Points

• Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. increased its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 14.4% in the fourth quarter, buying 17,165 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 136,524 shares worth about $10.36 million.
• Kratos recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $0.16 versus $0.13 expected and revenue of $371 million, up 22.6% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains constructive, with several firms reiterating or upgrading to buy ratings and the stock carrying an average “Moderate Buy” rating and a $96.28 average price target.

Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. increased its position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS - Free Report) by 14.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 136,524 shares of the aerospace company's stock after buying an additional 17,165 shares during the quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. owned about 0.08% of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions worth $10,364,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Key Kratos Defense & Security Solutions News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Reports that the U.S. government may fund or take equity stakes in domestic drone makers have raised hopes that Kratos could benefit from stronger demand, policy support, and a more favorable growth outlook. Kratos And US Drone Funding Talks Could Reshape Growth And Risk Profile
• Positive Sentiment: Heavy call-option buying suggests traders are positioning for additional upside tied to the drone-sector funding theme. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Sees Unusually Large Options Volume NASDAQ: KTOS
• Neutral Sentiment: Several insiders recently sold shares, including director Bobbi Doorenbos and executives Steven S. Fendley and Jonah Adelman. While the sales can pressure sentiment, at least one was made under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan and does not necessarily indicate a change in fundamentals. Jonah Adelman insider sale details

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of KTOS stock opened at $64.13 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $65.91 and its 200 day moving average price is $81.05. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 1-year low of $35.88 and a 1-year high of $134.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.03 billion, a PE ratio of 377.24 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 5.63 and a quick ratio of 5.08.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report) last announced 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $345.00 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.12 earnings per share. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions's quarterly revenue was up 22.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Truist Financial upgraded Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group set a $80.00 target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Sunday, May 10th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $96.28.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Stacey G. Rock sold 4,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.47, for a total transaction of $261,880.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 13,896 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $909,771.12. The trade was a 22.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Marie Mendoza sold 1,013 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.49, for a total transaction of $54,185.37. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 65,996 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,530,126.04. This represents a 1.51% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 199,388 shares of company stock valued at $14,283,667 in the last quarter. Insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions 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.

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.