Herbst Group LLC Sells 10,100 Shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. $KTOS

Herbst Group LLC lessened its position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) by 46.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,800 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 10,100 shares during the period. Herbst Group LLC’s holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions were worth $588,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 72,660 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $3,623,000 after purchasing an additional 2,808 shares in the last quarter. Polianta Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the second quarter worth $1,600,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 80.2% during the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 70,254 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $3,503,000 after buying an additional 31,273 shares during the period. Byrne Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the second quarter worth about $124,000. Finally, Quad Cities Investment Group LLC increased its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 18.4% in the 2nd quarter. Quad Cities Investment Group LLC now owns 9,134 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $455,000 after acquiring an additional 1,419 shares during the last quarter. 75.92% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Results exceeded expectations. Kratos reported second-quarter EPS of $0.21, up from $0.11 a year earlier and above the $0.14 analyst consensus. Revenue increased 30.5% year over year to $458.8 million, surpassing estimates of approximately $410 million. Kratos Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted stronger second-half growth. The company cited increased capacity, program funding and bookings across hypersonics, jet engines, unmanned systems and counter-drone technologies. Kratos also views engines for low-cost cruise missiles as a significant future growth opportunity. KTOS Q2 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: A new U.S. Army development contract adds strategic support. Kratos will develop an Enhanced Seeker for the Javelin missile system, expanding its role in precision weapons and missile technology. Kratos Receives U.S. Army Contract
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains supportive. Piper Sandler upgraded KTOS, and BTIG raised its price target to $104 while maintaining a Buy rating, reinforcing investor confidence following the earnings report. Kratos Upgraded at Piper Sandler
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation remains a risk. With a high earnings multiple and relatively modest profitability, KTOS could be vulnerable if program launches, capacity expansion or defense bookings fall short of expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald reduced its price target to $100 from $115, although it retained an Overweight rating. Separately, CFO Deanna Lund sold 5,000 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan; the sale was a small reduction in her holdings but may provide a minor counterpoint to the bullish news. KTOS Insider Sale

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ KTOS opened at $60.77 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $52.27 and its 200 day moving average is $70.15. The stock has a market cap of $11.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 357.47 and a beta of 1.08. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 1-year low of $43.09 and a 1-year high of $134.00. The company has a current ratio of 5.54, a quick ratio of 4.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The aerospace company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.07. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a return on equity of 3.07% and a net margin of 2.03%.The business had revenue of $458.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $410.36 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.11 earnings per share. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions’s revenue for the quarter was up 30.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

In related news, insider Jonah Adelman sold 31,348 shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.06, for a total value of $1,788,716.88. Following the transaction, the insider owned 8,000 shares in the company, valued at $456,480. This trade represents a 79.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Deanna H. Lund sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.74, for a total transaction of $318,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 290,161 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,494,862.14. This represents a 1.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 144,036 shares of company stock worth $8,034,017 in the last quarter. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KTOS has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald dropped their price target on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $115.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Truist Financial raised shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Clear Str raised shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane increased their price target on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $101.29.

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.