WCM Investment Management LLC Makes New Investment in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. $KTOS

WCM Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 203,479 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,922,000. WCM Investment Management LLC owned 0.12% of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in KTOS. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 29.6% during 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 boosted its position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 22.2% in 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 acquiring an additional 818,104 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 8.3% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,949,763 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $183,490,000 after acquiring an additional 301,135 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 18.1% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,837,005 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $131,779,000 after acquiring an additional 434,561 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hood River Capital Management LLC increased its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 13.3% during the second quarter. Hood River Capital Management LLC now owns 2,755,446 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $127,990,000 after acquiring an additional 324,140 shares during the period. 75.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Stacey G. Rock sold 16,568 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.74, for a total value of $1,934,148.32. Following the sale, the insider owned 26,487 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,092,092.38. The trade was a 38.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Marie Mendoza sold 1,676 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.18, for a total transaction of $201,421.68. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 63,393 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,618,570.74. This trade represents a 2.58% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 911,815 shares of company stock worth $74,483,631 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 2.37% of the company’s stock.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Performance

NASDAQ:KTOS opened at $96.16 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.24 billion, a PE ratio of 739.75 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, Inc. has a 12-month low of $23.90 and a 12-month high of $134.00. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $91.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $80.93.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The aerospace company reported $0.14 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $347.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $323.01 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.11 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 26.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on KTOS shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Monday, January 12th. BTIG Research boosted their price target on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $80.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $85.00 price target on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, KeyCorp raised their price objective on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $90.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.28.

About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

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.