Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) SVP Sells $132,120.00 in Stock

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) SVP Marie Mendoza sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.08, for a total transaction of $132,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 62,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,471,617.68. This represents a 2.36% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Marie Mendoza also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, January 15th, Marie Mendoza sold 1,676 shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.18, for a total value of $201,421.68.
• On Monday, December 15th, Marie Mendoza sold 1,567 shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.27, for a total value of $119,515.09.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Down 9.1%

NASDAQ:KTOS opened at $96.08 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $96.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $84.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 739.13 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 4.30, a quick ratio of 3.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 1-year low of $23.90 and a 1-year high of $134.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 29.6% in the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,086,494 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $236,268,000 after purchasing an additional 1,162,577 shares during the period. ARK Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 22.2% during the second quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 4,507,692 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $209,382,000 after buying an additional 818,104 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,446,230 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $337,565,000 after buying an additional 148,622 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley grew its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 3,311,095 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $251,345,000 after buying an additional 124,607 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 29.5% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,068,863 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $280,402,000 after buying an additional 698,778 shares in the last quarter. 75.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

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

• Positive Sentiment: Prometheus Energetics (a JV that includes Kratos) broke ground on a new solid rocket motor campus in Indiana—this expands Kratos’ propulsion/energetics capability and supports longer‑term revenue potential. Prometheus Energetics Breaks Ground
• Positive Sentiment: Kratos announced expanded roles in hypersonics, satellites and autonomy programs—operational wins in high‑priority defense segments that support multi‑year growth expectations. Kratos Expands Role In Hypersonics
• Positive Sentiment: Kratos won a contract to streamline hypersonic materials development—a technical contract that reinforces its addressable market in hypersonics. Hypersonic Materials Contract
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short‑interest figures are effectively zero/ambiguous (likely a reporting/data quirk) and are unlikely to be a material driver of today’s move.
• Negative Sentiment: UBS initiated coverage with a “neutral” rating and a $79 price target—this published target sits well below recent trading levels and can directly weaken sentiment and trigger selling pressure. UBS Initiates Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Two insiders disclosed sales (SVP Marie Mendoza sold 1,500 shares at ~$88.08; Phillip D. Carrai sold 6,500 shares at ~$90.91). While both still hold large positions, the filings read as near‑term profit taking and likely added to downward pressure. Insider Sale Filings Insider Sale Filings 2

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on KTOS. Noble Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Citizens Jmp upped their price target on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $105.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. BTIG Research increased their price objective on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $80.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. B. Riley Financial boosted their target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $105.00 to $128.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Piper Sandler started coverage on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $99.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $93.83.

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.