Virtu Financial LLC Lowers Stock Holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. $KTOS

Virtu Financial LLC trimmed its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) by 49.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 16,206 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 15,974 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLC’s holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions were worth $1,230,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in KTOS. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp raised its stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 7,600.0% during the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 385 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 193.5% in the 3rd quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 408 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 269 shares during the period. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 115.4% in the 4th quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp now owns 420 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 225 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.92% of the company’s stock.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Price Performance

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock opened at $54.21 on Friday. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $39.00 and a fifty-two week high of $134.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 318.88 and a beta of 1.04. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $60.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $79.44. 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. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a return on equity of 2.82% and a net margin of 2.08%.The business had revenue of $371.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $345.00 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.12 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 22.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on KTOS shares. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on 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. BNP Paribas Exane increased their price target on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating 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 shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Sunday, May 10th. Finally, Truist Financial raised shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $101.35.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Jonah Adelman sold 31,348 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.06, for a total value of $1,788,716.88. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 8,000 shares in the company, valued at $456,480. This represents a 79.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Phillip D. Carrai sold 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.72, for a total value of $485,680.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 227,898 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,028,538.56. This trade represents a 2.77% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 196,278 shares of company stock worth $12,428,868 in the last three months. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

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

• Positive Sentiment: Kratos is being viewed as a possible winner from higher defense spending and urgent U.S. military demand for more munitions, missiles, and propulsion systems. Can Kratos Defense Become a Major Beneficiary of Rising Missile Demand?
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s autonomous trucking milestone added to investor interest by showcasing execution on advanced unmanned and logistics technology. Kratos (KTOS) Stock Trades Up, Here Is Why
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains mixed-to-positive overall, with several firms maintaining buy-like views, though some recently lowered price targets.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider sales by senior executives, including Marie Mendoza and Phillip Carrai, may be creating some caution among investors even though the trades were pre-planned under 10b5-1 programs.
• Negative Sentiment: A separate article flagged KTOS as a “cash-burning” stock to watch, reinforcing concerns about valuation and the company’s ability to justify its premium multiple if growth cools.

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.