Key Points
- Insider sale: Phillip Carrai sold 6,500 shares at an average price of $90.91 for a total of $590,915 on Feb. 17, trimming his stake to 213,325 shares (a 2.96% reduction), and SVP Marie Mendoza also disclosed a 1,500‑share sale.
- Stock and valuation: KTOS traded down about 3.9% to $101.57, with a market cap of roughly $17.3B, a very high P/E (~786), and a 52‑week range of $23.90–$134.00.
- Analyst and operational outlook: Several analysts raised targets (e.g., B. Riley $128, Truist $135, Stifel $134) though the MarketBeat average price target is $93.83 with a "Moderate Buy" consensus, while company wins — including the Prometheus Energetics rocket‑motor JV and hypersonics/satellite contracts — support longer‑term growth prospects.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report) SVP Marie Mendoza sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.08, for a total transaction of $132,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 62,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,471,617.68. This trade represents a 2.36% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.
Marie Mendoza also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Thursday, January 15th, Marie Mendoza sold 1,676 shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.18, for a total value of $201,421.68.
- On Monday, December 15th, Marie Mendoza sold 1,567 shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.27, for a total value of $119,515.09.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Trading Down 6.7%
Shares of KTOS stock traded down $7.10 on Friday, reaching $98.57. The company had a trading volume of 1,747,673 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,906,939. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 12 month low of $23.90 and a 12 month high of $134.00. The company has a current ratio of 4.30, a quick ratio of 3.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The stock has a market cap of $16.79 billion, a PE ratio of 767.76 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a 50-day moving average of $95.97 and a 200-day moving average of $83.80.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of brokerages have weighed in on KTOS. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $112.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Noble Financial reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Citigroup reissued a "market outperform" rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $99.00 price target for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $93.83.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of KTOS. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 22.6% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 190,481 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $5,655,000 after acquiring an additional 35,098 shares during the period. Amundi purchased a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the first quarter worth approximately $791,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 64.4% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,315 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 515 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 178.0% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 3,570 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $108,000 after purchasing an additional 2,286 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 11.7% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 393,614 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $11,686,000 after acquiring an additional 41,265 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.92% of the company's stock.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Kratos Defense & Security Solutions this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Prometheus Energetics, a JV that includes Kratos, broke ground on a new solid rocket-motor manufacturing campus in Indiana — this expands Kratos’ vertically integrated supply position for propulsion/energetics, supporting longer‑term revenue & capability expansion. Prometheus Energetics Breaks Ground
- Positive Sentiment: Kratos expanded its role in hypersonics, satellites and autonomy programs — operational wins in high-priority defense areas that can drive multi-year revenue growth. Kratos Expands Role In Hypersonics
- Positive Sentiment: Kratos was awarded a contract to streamline hypersonic materials development — a technical/contract win that reinforces the company’s addressable market in hypersonics. Contract to Streamline Hypersonic Material’s Development
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary ahead of earnings points to expected double‑digit revenue growth and capacity expansion across unmanned/defense segments — supports growth thesis entering the Q4 earnings period. Zacks Earnings Preview
- Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data is effectively zero/ambiguous in the filings — appears to be a data/ reporting quirk and is unlikely to be a meaningful immediate driver. Neutral
- Negative Sentiment: UBS initiated coverage with a "neutral" rating and a $79 price target (roughly ~23% below recent levels) — a published target materially below the market can pressure sentiment and trigger short‑term selling. UBS Initiates Coverage
- Negative Sentiment: Two insiders disclosed sales (SVP Marie Mendoza sold 1,500 shares; Phillip D. Carrai sold 6,500 shares). While insiders still hold large positions, disclosed sales can be read as near‑term profit taking and may add to downward pressure. Insider Sale Filings Insider Sale Filings 2
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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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