Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) Short Interest Update

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) was the target of a large increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,030,000 shares, an increase of 38.1% from the February 28th total of 5,090,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,870,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.4 days. Currently, 4.7% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Down 1.3 %

KTOS stock traded down $0.39 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $29.30. 2,025,623 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,548,001. The stock has a market cap of $4.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 293.03 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 3.22 and a quick ratio of 2.61. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has a 1 year low of $17.05 and a 1 year high of $35.66. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $30.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is $27.51.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on KTOS shares. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $25.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $27.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $37.00 to $32.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $32.67.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Eric M. Demarco bought 9,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $26.35 per share, with a total value of $250,325.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,267,482 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,398,150.70. This trade represents a 0.76 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Phillip D. Carrai sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.33, for a total transaction of $526,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 263,283 shares in the company, valued at $6,932,241.39. This represents a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 103,196 shares of company stock worth $2,962,300. 2.27% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its holdings in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 202.3% in the 1st quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,046 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Total Wealth Planning & Management Inc. purchased a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the 4th quarter worth about $281,000. Neo Ivy Capital Management bought a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the 4th quarter valued at about $317,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 42.1% during the 4th quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 5,302 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $141,000 after acquiring an additional 1,570 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 30.0% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 352,349 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $9,295,000 after acquiring an additional 81,298 shares during the period. 75.92% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Company Profile

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc engages in the provision of mission critical products, services and solutions for United States national security priorities. It operates through the Kratos Government Solutions (KGS) and Unmanned Systems (US) segments. The KGS segment consists of an aggregation of KGS operating segments, including microwave electronic products, space, satellite and cyber, training solutions.