Erste Asset Management GmbH Has $1.42 Million Stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. $KTOS

Erste Asset Management GmbH boosted its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) by 406.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 18,321 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 14,700 shares during the period. Erste Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions were worth $1,419,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 20,306 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,541,000 after buying an additional 975 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 10.4% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,065,329 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $80,869,000 after acquiring an additional 100,356 shares during the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 48.5% during the fourth quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,458,084 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $110,683,000 after acquiring an additional 476,049 shares in the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 166.1% during the fourth quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 10,023 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $761,000 after acquiring an additional 6,256 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Modus Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $56,000. 75.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Kratos Defense & Security Solutions News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Kratos announced a major expansion of Spartan turbojet engine production, targeting 3,000 engines next year to meet rising demand from missile and loitering munition programs, which could boost future revenue visibility. Article: Kratos Expands Production of Spartan Engines to Support Growing Missile and Loitering Munition Demand
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts noted Kratos is building a growth engine in hypersonics and autonomous systems, with Valkyrie drone production and improving Unmanned Systems profitability supporting the longer-term investment case. Article: Is KTOS Building a Growth Engine in Hypersonics & Autonomous Systems?
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider David M. Carter sold 4,000 shares under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan; the sale was disclosed properly, but insider selling can still weigh on sentiment. Article: Insider sale filing
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary suggested KTOS may be priced for a lot of growth after its multiyear run, adding to valuation concerns that could be contributing to the stock’s weakness. Article: Is Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS) Pricing In Too Much After Its Multiyear Run?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KTOS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Citizens Jmp cut their price objective on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $125.00 to $105.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 8th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $82.00 target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. BNP Paribas Exane boosted their target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Clear Str upgraded shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $96.28.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Price Performance

NASDAQ:KTOS opened at $54.82 on Thursday. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 12-month low of $37.90 and a 12-month high of $134.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 322.47 and a beta of 1.04. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $62.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $80.36. The company has a quick ratio of 5.08, a current ratio of 5.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Scott I. Anderson sold 15,000 shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.11, for a total transaction of $1,336,650.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 51,334 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,574,372.74. The trade was a 22.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Jonah Adelman sold 31,348 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.06, for a total transaction of $1,788,716.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 8,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $456,480. This trade represents a 79.67% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 217,564 shares of company stock valued at $14,576,994. 1.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.