Erste Asset Management GmbH Has $1.42 Million Stock Position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. $KTOS

Erste Asset Management GmbH boosted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) by 406.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 18,321 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 14,700 shares during the period. Erste Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions were worth $1,419,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of KTOS. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp grew its position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 7,600.0% in the 4th 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 last quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Caitlin John LLC bought a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the third quarter valued at $32,000. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp increased its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 115.4% in the 4th quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp now owns 420 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 225 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Accredited Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 193.5% during the third quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 408 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 269 shares in the last quarter. 75.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Kratos announced a major expansion of Spartan turbojet engine production, targeting 3,000 engines next year to meet rising demand from missile and loitering munition programs, which could boost future revenue visibility. Article: Kratos Expands Production of Spartan Engines to Support Growing Missile and Loitering Munition Demand
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts noted Kratos is building a growth engine in hypersonics and autonomous systems, with Valkyrie drone production and improving Unmanned Systems profitability supporting the longer-term investment case. Article: Is KTOS Building a Growth Engine in Hypersonics & Autonomous Systems?
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider David M. Carter sold 4,000 shares under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan; the sale was disclosed properly, but insider selling can still weigh on sentiment. Article: Insider sale filing
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary suggested KTOS may be priced for a lot of growth after its multiyear run, adding to valuation concerns that could be contributing to the stock’s weakness. Article: Is Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS) Pricing In Too Much After Its Multiyear Run?

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on KTOS shares. BTIG Research lowered their price objective on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $115.00 to $100.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Clear Str raised shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their price objective on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Truist Financial upgraded shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $82.00 target price on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $96.28.

Insider Activity

In other Kratos Defense & Security Solutions news, insider Phillip D. Carrai sold 6,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.07, for a total value of $578,955.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 234,292 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,868,388.44. The trade was a 2.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director William A. Hoglund sold 30,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.19, for a total transaction of $2,171,295.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 252,500 shares in the company, valued at $17,975,475. This trade represents a 10.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 217,564 shares of company stock valued at $14,576,994. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Performance

NASDAQ:KTOS opened at $54.82 on Thursday. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a twelve month low of $37.90 and a twelve month high of $134.00. The stock has a market cap of $10.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 322.47 and a beta of 1.04. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $62.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $80.36. The company has a quick ratio of 5.08, a current ratio of 5.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 2.82% and a net margin of 2.08%.The business had revenue of $371.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $345.00 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.12 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 22.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.5 EPS for the current year.

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.