Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. $KTOS Shares Sold by Royal Bank of Canada

Royal Bank of Canada decreased its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) by 48.5% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 189,633 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 178,312 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada’s holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions were worth $13,372,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Amundi purchased a new stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the first quarter valued at about $791,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 64.4% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,315 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 515 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 178.0% in the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 3,570 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $108,000 after acquiring an additional 2,286 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 11.7% during the 1st 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth purchased a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $225,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.92% of the company’s stock.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:KTOS opened at $60.77 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 357.47 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 5.54 and a quick ratio of 5.08. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $52.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $70.57. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 12 month low of $43.09 and a 12 month high of $134.00.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The aerospace company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $458.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $410.36 million. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a return on equity of 3.07% and a net margin of 2.03%.Kratos Defense & Security Solutions’s revenue was up 30.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.11 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider David M. Carter sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.90, for a total value of $223,600.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 62,237 shares in the company, valued at $3,479,048.30. This represents a 6.04% 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. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Marie Mendoza sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.93, for a total transaction of $86,895.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 64,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,733,414.71. This trade represents a 2.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 144,036 shares of company stock valued at $8,034,017. 1.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

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

• Positive Sentiment: Results exceeded expectations. Kratos reported second-quarter EPS of $0.21, up from $0.11 a year earlier and above the $0.14 analyst consensus. Revenue increased 30.5% year over year to $458.8 million, surpassing estimates of approximately $410 million. Kratos Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted stronger second-half growth. The company cited increased capacity, program funding and bookings across hypersonics, jet engines, unmanned systems and counter-drone technologies. Kratos also views engines for low-cost cruise missiles as a significant future growth opportunity. KTOS Q2 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: A new U.S. Army development contract adds strategic support. Kratos will develop an Enhanced Seeker for the Javelin missile system, expanding its role in precision weapons and missile technology. Kratos Receives U.S. Army Contract
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains supportive. Piper Sandler upgraded KTOS, and BTIG raised its price target to $104 while maintaining a Buy rating, reinforcing investor confidence following the earnings report. Kratos Upgraded at Piper Sandler
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation remains a risk. With a high earnings multiple and relatively modest profitability, KTOS could be vulnerable if program launches, capacity expansion or defense bookings fall short of expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald reduced its price target to $100 from $115, although it retained an Overweight rating. Separately, CFO Deanna Lund sold 5,000 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan; the sale was a small reduction in her holdings but may provide a minor counterpoint to the bullish news. KTOS Insider Sale

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on KTOS. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Wedbush started coverage on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $85.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $100.00 to $80.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $99.00 to $82.00 in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald dropped their price objective on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $115.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $101.29.

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.