Insider Selling: Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) Insider Sells 14,000 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Kratos insider Steven Fendley sold 14,000 shares for $473,900, reducing his position by 4.86%; he retained 274,176 shares after the transaction.
• KTOS shares fell 2.4% to $33.91 on Friday, near the reported one-year low of $31.57. The stock was well below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• Quarterly results beat estimates: earnings were $0.24 per share versus $0.21 expected, and revenue rose 35.7% year over year to $471.8 million. Analysts’ consensus rating was “Moderate Buy,” with a $77.40 average price target.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report) insider Steven Fendley sold 14,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.85, for a total value of $473,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 274,176 shares in the company, valued at $9,280,857.60. The trade was a 4.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Down 2.4%

KTOS stock traded down $0.84 on Friday, reaching $33.91. 5,000,241 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,812,484. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $42.11 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.59. The company has a market cap of $6.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 64.35 and a beta of 1.18. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a one year low of $31.57 and a one year high of $134.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 5.42 and a quick ratio of 4.87.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The aerospace company reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.03. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a return on equity of 3.18% and a net margin of 1.34%. The business had revenue of $471.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $471.40 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.14 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 35.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. B&D White Capital Company LLC raised its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 21,357.3% in the 3rd quarter. B&D White Capital Company LLC now owns 1,823,870 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $77,861,000 after buying an additional 1,815,370 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the 2nd quarter valued at about $65,293,000. Bamco Inc. NY purchased a new stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the 2nd quarter valued at about $53,746,000. American Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the 2nd quarter valued at about $51,338,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 15.2% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 6,930,588 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $295,867,000 after acquiring an additional 914,515 shares during the period. 75.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on KTOS. B. Riley Financial dropped their price target on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $128.00 to $91.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 30th. BNP Paribas Exane raised shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Citizens Jmp reduced their price objective on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $105.00 to $70.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of 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, Oppenheimer began coverage on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $50.00 target price on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $77.40.

About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions is a defense technology company that develops products and services for U.S. government agencies, national security organizations, and allied governments. Its work spans unmanned systems, satellite communications, microwave electronics, command-and-control systems, and training and simulation. The company's offerings include unmanned aerial vehicles and target drones, as well as systems and components used in space and satellite communications and other defense applications.

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