Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) Director Sells $143,225.00 in Stock

Key Points

• Director Bobbi Doorenbos sold 2,500 shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions at an average price of $57.29, for total proceeds of $143,225. After the sale, she held 12,500 shares, reducing her position by 16.67%.
• KTOS shares rose sharply during Thursday trading to $65.19, with volume well above average. The stock remains far below its 52-week high of $134.00 and is trading under both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• Recent results beat expectations, with Kratos reporting Q1 EPS of $0.16 versus estimates of $0.13 and revenue of $371 million versus $345 million expected. Analysts currently have a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $96.28.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report) Director Bobbi Doorenbos sold 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.29, for a total value of $143,225.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 12,500 shares in the company, valued at $716,125. The trade was a 16.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Price Performance

KTOS stock traded up $7.89 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $65.19. The stock had a trading volume of 11,302,738 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,108,288. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $66.49 and its 200 day simple moving average is $81.17. The company has a market cap of $12.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 383.47 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a current ratio of 5.63, a quick ratio of 5.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 52-week low of $35.88 and a 52-week high of $134.00.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The aerospace company reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $371.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $345.00 million. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a net margin of 2.08% and a return on equity of 2.82%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 22.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.12 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

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

• Positive Sentiment: KTOS was mentioned alongside other U.S. drone stocks that surged after reports of Pentagon-backed funding talks, which could signal stronger strategic and financial support for the domestic drone industry. Drone Stocks Jump As Trump Administration Pursues Funding Deals
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call option buying in Kratos suggests traders are positioning for more upside, reinforcing bullish sentiment around the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: News flow around the government potentially investing in drone manufacturers is drawing speculative interest into defense-drone names like KTOS. Trump Invested in Intel And it Soared 500%. Here's the Next Industry the Government is Buying.
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple insiders sold shares on May 26, including director Bobbi Doorenbos, Steven S. Fendley, and Jonah Adelman. While insider selling can weigh on sentiment, one sale was made under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan, and the transactions may be less meaningful than the broader industry catalyst.
• Neutral Sentiment: Short interest data showed no meaningful change in the reported figure, so it does not appear to be a major driver of the stock today.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KTOS has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $100.00 to $80.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Clear Str upgraded shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $99.00 to $75.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased 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 research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $80.00 price target on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Sunday, May 10th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $96.28.

Institutional Trading of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KTOS. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 1,389.0% during the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,707,776 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $247,409,000 after purchasing an additional 2,525,921 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 7,701.6% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,593,549 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $120,966,000 after buying an additional 1,573,123 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the fourth quarter worth about $104,807,000. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the third quarter worth about $91,901,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 29.5% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,068,863 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $280,402,000 after buying an additional 698,778 shares during the period. 75.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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