Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. $KTOS Stock Holdings Lifted by Intech Investment Management LLC

Intech Investment Management LLC raised its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) by 23.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 64,479 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 12,189 shares during the quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions were worth $4,895,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of KTOS. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 1,389.0% in the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,707,776 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $247,409,000 after purchasing an additional 2,525,921 shares in the last quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the third quarter valued at about $91,901,000. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 29.5% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,068,863 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $280,402,000 after purchasing an additional 698,778 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 93.0% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 964,973 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $88,170,000 after purchasing an additional 465,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FengHe Fund Management Pte. Ltd. purchased a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the fourth quarter valued at about $35,291,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.92% of the company’s stock.

More Kratos Defense & Security Solutions News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Reports that the U.S. government may fund or take equity stakes in domestic drone makers have raised hopes that Kratos could benefit from stronger demand, policy support, and a more favorable growth outlook. Kratos And US Drone Funding Talks Could Reshape Growth And Risk Profile
• Positive Sentiment: Heavy call-option buying suggests traders are positioning for additional upside tied to the drone-sector funding theme. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NASDAQ:KTOS)
• Neutral Sentiment: Several insiders recently sold shares, including director Bobbi Doorenbos and executives Steven S. Fendley and Jonah Adelman. While the sales can pressure sentiment, at least one was made under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan and does not necessarily indicate a change in fundamentals. Jonah Adelman insider sale details

Insider Activity at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

In related news, insider Steven S. Fendley sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.24, for a total transaction of $400,680.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 344,090 shares in the company, valued at $19,695,711.60. This represents a 1.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Bobbi Doorenbos sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director owned 12,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $716,125. The trade was a 16.67% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 188,630 shares of company stock worth $13,301,792 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $80.00 target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Sunday, May 10th. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $99.00 to $75.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Truist Financial upgraded Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $96.28.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Performance

KTOS opened at $64.13 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $12.03 billion, a PE ratio of 377.24 and a beta of 1.04. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $65.91 and a 200-day moving average of $81.06. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 52-week low of $35.88 and a 52-week high of $134.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 5.08 and a current ratio of 5.63.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The aerospace company reported $0.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.13 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $371.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $345.00 million. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a return on equity of 2.82% and a net margin of 2.08%.The firm’s revenue was up 22.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.12 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions 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.