Insider Selling: Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) Insider Sells 4,000 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Insider sale: Director Stacey Rock sold 4,000 shares at an average price of $61.03 for $244,120, reducing her stake by 18.27% to 17,897 shares in a transaction executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan.
• Market reaction and valuation: KTOS shares fell about 3.4% to $59.56, trade volume was below average, and the stock shows a high trailing P/E of 458.19 with a market cap around $11.16 billion and 50/200-day moving averages well above the current price.
• Business performance and sentiment: Kratos beat quarterly EPS and revenue estimates (EPS $0.18 vs. $0.14; revenue up 21.9% year-over-year), and analysts are largely bullish with an average price target of about $98.28 and mostly "Buy" ratings.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report) insider Stacey Rock sold 4,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.03, for a total value of $244,120.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 17,897 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,092,253.91. The trade was a 18.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Trading Down 3.4%

Shares of KTOS traded down $2.10 on Wednesday, reaching $59.56. 3,065,293 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,244,728. The company has a current ratio of 4.06, a quick ratio of 3.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 458.19 and a beta of 1.22. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $79.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $85.31. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 12 month low of $32.85 and a 12 month high of $134.00.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The aerospace company reported $0.18 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $345.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $327.51 million. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a net margin of 1.63% and a return on equity of 3.34%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 21.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.13 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on KTOS shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $93.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Citigroup reiterated a "market outperform" rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. B. Riley Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $105.00 to $128.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. BTIG Research increased their target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $95.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price target on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $98.28.

Institutional Trading of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the third quarter worth $32,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the third quarter worth $32,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp raised its holdings in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 7,600.0% during the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 385 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 380 shares during the period. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. bought a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. 75.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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