Merit Financial Group LLC Invests $456,000 in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. $KTOS

Merit Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 4,989 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $456,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of KTOS. Calamos Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the third quarter valued at $1,587,000. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al lifted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 57.1% in the third quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al now owns 20,900 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,910,000 after purchasing an additional 7,600 shares during the last quarter. LVW Advisors LLC bought a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $325,000. Perigon Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the third quarter worth approximately $425,000. Finally, Parisi Gray Wealth Management bought a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the 3rd quarter worth $289,000. 75.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman selected Kratos’ Valkyrie UAS to support the Marine Corps’ Collaborative Combat Aircraft program — a strategic, high‑visibility contract that showcases Kratos’ unmanned systems capability and could drive multi‑year revenue. Northrop Grumman to Rapidly Develop Marine Corps CCA with Kratos’ Valkyrie UAS
• Positive Sentiment: Kratos publicly backed President Trump’s emphasis on reinvestment in defense (over buybacks), aligning the company with potential policy tailwinds and larger defense budgets. Kratos Applauds Focus on Reinvestment to Strengthen Defense Readiness
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst momentum and buy ratings (including a recent Jones Research buy and $150 target cited in coverage) plus institutional buying have amplified bullish investor sentiment. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock (KTOS) Opinions on Recent Price Surge and Analyst Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large options activity: elevated call buying indicates speculative bullish positioning that can amplify intraday moves. (No single article link available for the trade alert.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks notes KTOS has jumped ~35% in a month on contract wins and unmanned system demand but warns weaker ROIC and sector risks complicate optimal entry timing. Kratos Defense Stock Rises 35.3% in a Month: Here’s How to Play
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces (Seeking Alpha / Yahoo) highlight strong revenue growth guidance but reiterate that Kratos remains unprofitable with cash burn and margin pressure — important when weighing valuation. Trump’s ‘Dream Military’ Is A Game Changer For Kratos: My Volatility Playbook
• Negative Sentiment: Heavy insider selling: disclosure and data show numerous executive sales over recent months (CEO and other senior officers have sold significant positions), which can concern investors about timing and dilution. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock (KTOS) Opinions on Recent Price Surge and Analyst Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Recent SEC/filing reports show specific large insider sales (e.g., CEO sale in the millions), reinforcing near‑term selling pressure risk. Insider Selling: Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) CEO Sells $17,306,585.72 in Stock

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Price Performance

KTOS stock opened at $113.70 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $19.20 billion, a PE ratio of 874.68 and a beta of 1.09. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $78.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $72.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 3.68 and a current ratio of 4.30. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a one year low of $23.90 and a one year high of $115.45.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The aerospace company reported $0.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.12 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $347.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $323.01 million. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a return on equity of 3.14% and a net margin of 1.56%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 26.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.11 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KTOS has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $70.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, September 26th. BNP Paribas set a $80.00 target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Noble Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, BTIG Research raised their target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $80.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $84.47.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Steven S. Fendley sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.57, for a total value of $535,990.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 318,435 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,382,567.95. This trade represents a 2.15% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Eric M. Demarco sold 191,699 shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.28, for a total value of $17,306,585.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 687,117 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $62,032,922.76. This trade represents a 21.81% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 885,511 shares of company stock worth $70,988,315. 2.37% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.