Stephens Investment Management Group LLC Reduces Holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. $KTOS

Stephens Investment Management Group LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) by 48.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,341,064 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 1,238,417 shares during the period. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions accounts for approximately 1.6% of Stephens Investment Management Group LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 4th largest position. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC owned about 0.79% of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions worth $122,533,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of KTOS. Rovida Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the second quarter valued at approximately $82,315,000. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake 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 acquiring an additional 1,162,577 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the 2nd quarter valued at $37,475,000. ARK Investment Management LLC boosted its position in 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 worth $209,382,000 after purchasing an additional 818,104 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 29.1% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,370,085 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $110,090,000 after purchasing an additional 533,912 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.92% of the company’s stock.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:KTOS opened at $130.72 on Friday. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a 12-month low of $23.90 and a 12-month high of $132.00. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $82.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $75.44. The firm has a market cap of $22.07 billion, a PE ratio of 1,005.62 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 3.68, a current ratio of 4.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

In related news, insider Phillip D. Carrai sold 6,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.30, for a total transaction of $801,450.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 219,741 shares in the company, valued at $27,094,065.30. This represents a 2.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Marie Mendoza sold 1,676 shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.18, for a total value of $201,421.68. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 63,393 shares in the company, valued at $7,618,570.74. The trade was a 2.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 911,815 shares of company stock valued at $74,226,491 over the last three months. 2.37% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Kratos Defense & Security Solutions News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst momentum — KTOS received an analyst upgrade that drove positive headlines and upward price-target revisions, supporting buying interest. Article Title Price target story
• Positive Sentiment: New hypersonics manufacturing capacity — Kratos opened a 55,000 sq. ft. hypersonic system manufacturing facility, a tangible expansion of production capability that strengthens its position on next‑gen defense programs. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Defense spending tailwind — Analysts note Kratos could benefit from a proposed increase in U.S. defense budgets, which would boost demand for unmanned systems, hypersonics and other programs where Kratos has exposure. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent fundamentals — Last reported quarter (Nov) showed revenue and EPS beats with year‑over‑year revenue growth, which underpins the bullish analyst views but is already priced in to some extent.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale — Director Scot B. Jarvis sold 5,000 shares at an average of $120.18 (≈$600,900). The sale trimmed his stake by ~4.5%. SEC filing: Jarvis filing
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale — SVP Marie Mendoza sold 1,676 shares at about $120.18 (~$201,422), a ~2.6% reduction in her holdings. SEC filing: Mendoza filing
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale — Insider Phillip D. Carrai sold 6,500 shares at an average of $123.30 (~$801,450), reducing his stake by ~2.9%. SEC filing: Carrai filing

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on KTOS shares. KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $90.00 target price for the company. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Monday. BNP Paribas set a $80.00 price objective on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $112.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Noble Financial reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Thursday, November 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $87.94.

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.