Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. $KTOS Shares Sold by Virtu Financial LLC

Virtu Financial LLC trimmed its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) by 49.6% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm 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 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp lifted its stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 7,600.0% during the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 385 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 380 shares during the period. Rakuten Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp boosted its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 115.4% during the fourth quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp now owns 420 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. 75.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:KTOS opened at $54.21 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $60.82 and its 200 day simple moving average is $79.44. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a one year low of $39.00 and a one year high of $134.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 5.08 and a current ratio of 5.63. The company has a market cap of $10.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 318.88 and a beta of 1.04.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) last announced 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. The business had revenue of $371.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $345.00 million. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a net margin of 2.08% and a return on equity of 2.82%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 22.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.12 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

In other news, Director Scot B. Jarvis sold 5,417 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.90, for a total transaction of $411,150.30. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 75,123 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,701,835.70. This trade represents a 6.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Phillip D. Carrai sold 6,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.72, for a total transaction of $485,680.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 227,898 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,028,538.56. This represents a 2.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 196,278 shares of company stock worth $12,428,868. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have weighed in on KTOS shares. Clear Str upgraded Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Citizens Jmp decreased their price objective on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $125.00 to $105.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 8th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price objective on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $100.00 to $80.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $101.35.

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.