Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) Earns Buy Rating from Benchmark

Benchmark restated their buy rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) in a report released on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $25.00 price objective on the aerospace company’s stock.

KTOS has been the subject of several other reports. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $23.00 target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $20.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $22.00 to $20.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $22.14.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Trading Up 9.1 %

Shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock opened at $18.86 on Thursday. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has a twelve month low of $12.12 and a twelve month high of $21.60. The company has a current ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $18.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $18.44.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The aerospace company reported $0.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.09 by $0.03. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a negative net margin of 0.86% and a positive return on equity of 3.01%. The business had revenue of $273.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $253.39 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.03 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions will post 0.25 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Marie Mendoza sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.05, for a total transaction of $27,075.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 90,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,637,369.65. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Kratos Defense & Security Solutions news, insider Phillip D. Carrai sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.19, for a total value of $63,665.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 290,118 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,277,246.42. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Marie Mendoza sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.05, for a total transaction of $27,075.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 90,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,637,369.65. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 41,538 shares of company stock worth $763,479 in the last three months. 2.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,628,000. FMR LLC increased its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 56.4% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,026,556 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $45,459,000 after acquiring an additional 1,091,380 shares during the period. Profit Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,608,000. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 192.7% in the 3rd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 80,155 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,204,000 after acquiring an additional 52,773 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James & Associates increased its position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 54.6% during the fourth quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 188,105 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $3,817,000 after buying an additional 66,442 shares during the period. 75.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Company Profile

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc operates as a technology company that addresses the defense, national security, and commercial markets. It operates through two segments, Kratos Government Solutions and Unmanned Systems. The company offers ground systems for satellites and space vehicles, including software for command and control, telemetry, and tracking and control; jet-powered unmanned aerial drone systems, hypersonic vehicles, and rocket systems; propulsion systems for drones, missiles, loitering munitions, supersonic systems, spacecraft, and launch systems; command, control, communication, computing, combat, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance; and microwave electronic products for missile, radar, missile defense, space, and satellite; counter unmanned aircraft systems, directed energy, communication and other systems, and virtual and augmented reality training systems for the warfighter.