Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. $KTOS Shares Sold by Artisan Partners Limited Partnership

Artisan Partners Limited Partnership decreased its stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) by 27.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 782,922 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 299,233 shares during the period. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership owned about 0.46% of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions worth $71,536,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Amalgamated Bank lifted its stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 57.7% in the third quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 73,673 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $6,732,000 after buying an additional 26,946 shares during the last quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP bought a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,828,000. Baillie Gifford & Co. acquired a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions during the 3rd quarter valued at about $19,048,000. WCM Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the 3rd quarter worth about $17,922,000. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System grew its position in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 59.4% in the 3rd quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 108,525 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $9,916,000 after purchasing an additional 40,440 shares during the last quarter. 75.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Kratos Defense & Security Solutions News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Kratos won a $61.1M Navy contract modification for full‑rate production of 70 BQM‑177A subsonic aerial targets — adds near‑term funded revenue and supports production momentum. Kratos Navy Contract
• Positive Sentiment: Kratos completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) for the Space Development Agency’s Advanced Fire Control Ground Infrastructure (AFCGI), de‑risking integration milestones on a major space/ground program and supporting future revenue recognition. CDR Completion
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG raised its price target on KTOS to $115, signaling increased analyst optimism tied to program wins and positioning in unmanned/space markets. BTIG Price Target Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Kratos reported a Q4 beat (revenue +21.9% YoY, EPS above expectations) and a larger backlog — fundamental positives, but largely anticipated and insufficient to offset near‑term concerns. Q4 Results
• Negative Sentiment: The company priced an underwritten offering of 14,285,714 shares at $84.00 to raise roughly $1.17B (with a 30‑day option), all shares sold by Kratos — a primary offering that increases share count and sparked dilution concerns. The offering is expected to close March 2, 2026. Offering Priced
• Negative Sentiment: Noble Financial reduced its Q1 and Q2 2026 EPS estimates for Kratos (Q1 to $0.09, Q2 to $0.10), signaling near‑term earnings pressure despite an Outperform rating — analyst downgrades or cuts tend to pressure sentiment. Noble Financial Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: After‑hours weakness followed management’s softer Q1 guidance and commentary about cash burn (inventory/production ramps), which overshadowed the Q4 beat and likely triggered short‑term profit taking. After‑hours Fall Explanation
• Negative Sentiment: An insider sold 7,000 shares last week (disclosed SEC filing) — not large versus total holdings but a headline that can add selling pressure. Insider Sale Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a concern (very high P/E multiples), leaving KTOS vulnerable to pullbacks if guidance or cash‑flow timing disappoints. Valuation Concerns

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on KTOS shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $93.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $80.00 target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $85.00 price target on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Noble Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $98.28.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

In other Kratos Defense & Security Solutions news, insider Stacey G. Rock sold 4,000 shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.28, for a total value of $361,120.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 22,566 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,037,258.48. The trade was a 15.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Marie Mendoza sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.08, for a total value of $132,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 62,121 shares in the company, valued at $5,471,617.68. This represents a 2.36% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 897,907 shares of company stock valued at $74,113,293. Corporate insiders own 2.37% of the company’s stock.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Trading Down 6.5%

Shares of KTOS stock opened at $86.18 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $98.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $85.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 662.97 and a beta of 1.09. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $25.11 and a fifty-two week high of $134.00. The company has a quick ratio of 3.68, a current ratio of 4.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The aerospace company reported $0.18 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.04. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions had a net margin of 1.63% and a return on equity of 3.34%. The company had revenue of $345.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $327.51 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.13 EPS. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions’s revenue was up 21.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. will post 0.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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.