Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) Stock Price Expected to Rise, BNP Paribas Exane Analyst Says

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) had its price target increased by equities research analysts at BNP Paribas Exane from $80.00 to $85.00 in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the aerospace company’s stock. BNP Paribas Exane’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 49.68% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Truist Financial raised Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective 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. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $99.00 to $75.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $82.00 target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $100.00 to $80.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $97.67.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Price Performance

Shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock traded down $4.73 on Thursday, hitting $56.79. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,118,313 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,199,030. The company has a market capitalization of $10.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 436.73 and a beta of 1.06. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has a 52-week low of $32.85 and a 52-week high of $134.00. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $77.13 and a 200-day moving average price of $84.59. The company has a quick ratio of 3.46, a current ratio of 4.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The aerospace company reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.13 by $0.03. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a net margin of 1.63% and a return on equity of 3.34%. The firm had revenue of $371.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $345.00 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.12 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions will post 0.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

In related news, insider Phillip D. Carrai sold 6,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.91, for a total transaction of $590,915.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 213,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,393,375.75. This represents a 2.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Scott I. Anderson sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.11, for a total value 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. This represents a 22.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 169,027 shares of company stock worth $13,522,040. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of KTOS. KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 11.9% in the 1st quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 5,999 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $423,000 after acquiring an additional 639 shares during the period. Vision Retirement LLC lifted its position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 288.2% during the first quarter. Vision Retirement LLC now owns 427 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 317 shares in the last quarter. Swiss National Bank boosted its stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 0.4% in the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 334,000 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $23,550,000 after purchasing an additional 1,200 shares during the period. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 64.3% in the first quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC now owns 5,468 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $386,000 after purchasing an additional 2,139 shares during the period. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC acquired a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the 1st quarter valued at $668,000. 75.92% of the stock is 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: Q1 results beat expectations — adjusted EPS $0.16 vs. $0.13 consensus and revenue $371.0M (+22.6% y/y); backlog reported higher (Zacks cites $1.635B). These beats and backlog growth support revenue momentum across unmanned systems and government solutions. Kratos Defense Q1 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Company raised FY?26 guidance — management increased fiscal revenue and adjusted?EBITDA guidance (GlobeNewswire release), reflecting stronger outlook after closing the Orbit Technologies acquisition. That guidance upgrade is fundamentally supportive for medium?term growth. Kratos Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results and Increases Fiscal FY26 Financial Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call detail — management highlighted a 1.6:1 book?to?bill, a multi?hundred?million backlog/record backlog figure and a large ($14B) opportunity pipeline; executives emphasized strong unit economics in unmanned systems and microwave/turbine businesses. These operational metrics support the growth story but are forward?looking. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (KTOS) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Near?term guide/quarterly cadence disappointment — Q2 revenue guidance (roughly $400M–$410M; next?quarter guide ~ $405M) came in slightly below some Street models, which likely pressured sentiment despite the full?year uplift. Kratos (NASDAQ:KTOS) Delivers Strong Q1 CY2026 Numbers
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts trimmed price targets — BTIG and Piper Sandler lowered targets (BTIG to $100, Piper to $75), which can weigh on sentiment and contributed to the pullback even though some firms kept buy/neutral stances. Analyst Price Target Changes
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — CFO Deanna Lund sold 5,000 shares under a 10b5?1 plan; while pre?arranged, insider sales can add to short?term selling pressure. SEC Filing: Insider Sale

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Company 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.