Phillip Carrai Sells 6,500 Shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) Stock

Key Points

• Insider sale: Phillip Carrai sold 6,500 shares of KTOS on March 16 at an average price of $89.07 for about $578,955, reducing his stake by 2.7% to 234,292 shares (worth roughly $20.9M).
• Quarterly beat and growth: Kratos reported $0.18 EPS vs. $0.14 expected and revenue of $345.1M (up 21.9% year-over-year), topping sales estimates.
• Market view and valuation: KTOS traded down to $93.04 (down ~2.4%), has a market cap of $17.38B and a very high P/E (~716), while analysts rate it a "Moderate Buy" with a consensus target of $98.28.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report) insider Phillip Carrai sold 6,500 shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.07, for a total transaction of $578,955.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 234,292 shares in the company, valued at $20,868,388.44. This trade represents a 2.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Down 2.4%

KTOS traded down $2.27 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $93.04. 2,840,597 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,419,156. The stock has a market cap of $17.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 715.75 and a beta of 1.12. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 1-year low of $25.78 and a 1-year high of $134.00. The stock's 50-day moving average is $100.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $87.18. The company has a quick ratio of 3.46, a current ratio of 4.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The aerospace company reported $0.18 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $345.10 million for 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 company's revenue for the quarter was up 21.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.13 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp grew its holdings in 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 valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 380 shares during the period. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. purchased a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the second quarter worth about $30,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the second quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd bought a new position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the third quarter worth about $32,000. 75.92% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KTOS has been the subject of several analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane set a $80.00 target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. JonesTrading assumed coverage on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Monday, January 5th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Truist Financial set a $135.00 price objective on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Friday, January 9th. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $79.00 target price on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $93.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $98.28.

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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