Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) CFO Deanna Lund Sells 5,000 Shares

Key Points

• Kratos Defense CFO Deanna Lund sold 5,000 shares on July 1 at an average price of $52.85, for proceeds of $264,250. The sale, disclosed in an SEC filing, was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
• KTOS shares rose to $55.35 in Thursday trading, with volume above average. The stock remains volatile, with a market cap of $10.38 billion and a high valuation relative to earnings.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with several firms maintaining or upgrading ratings and a consensus Buy rating plus an average target price of $100.44. Recent coverage from Wedbush and other brokerages reflects optimism about Kratos’ defense business prospects.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report) CFO Deanna Lund sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.85, for a total transaction of $264,250.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 285,405 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $15,083,654.25. This trade represents a 1.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Price Performance

Shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock traded up $2.31 on Thursday, hitting $55.35. 6,700,834 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,618,605. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 52 week low of $42.81 and a 52 week high of $134.00. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $57.17 and a 200 day simple moving average of $77.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 5.08 and a current ratio of 5.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 325.59 and a beta of 1.07.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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. The firm had revenue of $371.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $345.00 million. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a net margin of 2.08% and a return on equity of 2.82%. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions's revenue for the quarter was up 22.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.12 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on KTOS. Truist Financial raised Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Clear Str raised Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Piper Sandler cut their price target 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. Wedbush assumed coverage on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Tuesday. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $85.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane upped their price objective 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. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $100.44.

Institutional Trading of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 61.9% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 696 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the first quarter worth approximately $119,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 26.9% during the first quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 38,490 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $2,714,000 after acquiring an additional 8,163 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 143.3% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,280 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $90,000 after purchasing an additional 754 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 35.3% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 10,243 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $722,000 after purchasing an additional 2,671 shares during the period. 75.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Kratos won an approximate $36 million sole-source contract for a new air defense missile system, boosting backlog and revenue visibility.
• Positive Sentiment: Wedbush initiated coverage with Outperform and an $85 price target, signaling optimism about Kratos’ role in U.S. defense spending.
• Positive Sentiment: Kratos became the exclusive U.S. manufacturer for Elroy Air and signed an initial JV agreement with Barq Group, expanding growth opportunities. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary linking KTOS to the proposed Golden Dome program is reinforcing expectations for long-term defense demand. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Strong results from AeroVironment lifted sentiment across defense names, including Kratos. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider Steven Fendley sold 7,000 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, which is worth watching but does not appear to signal a major change in fundamentals. Article Title

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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