Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) Trading Down 5.7% - Should You Sell?

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS - Get Free Report)'s share price dropped 5.7% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $29.09 and last traded at $29.24. Approximately 1,279,422 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 40% from the average daily volume of 2,123,328 shares. The stock had previously closed at $31.01.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KTOS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. B. Riley raised Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $26.00 to $35.00 in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $27.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions from $25.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $29.30.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Stock Down 4.9 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $4.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 271.63 and a beta of 1.10. The firm's 50 day moving average is $30.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $25.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 3.22 and a quick ratio of 2.61.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Thomas E. Iv Mills sold 11,516 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.98, for a total transaction of $322,217.68. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 12,315 shares in the company, valued at approximately $344,573.70. This trade represents a 48.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Steven S. Fendley sold 7,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.51, for a total value of $185,570.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 349,406 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,262,753.06. This represents a 1.96 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 89,044 shares of company stock valued at $2,576,338. 2.27% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KTOS. Creative Planning grew its position in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 8.7% in the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 26,665 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $621,000 after buying an additional 2,125 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates grew its holdings in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 15.3% in the third quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 477,524 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $11,126,000 after purchasing an additional 63,473 shares during the period. Toth Financial Advisory Corp bought a new stake in Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in the 3rd quarter valued at about $678,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 6.4% in the 3rd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 70,767 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $1,649,000 after purchasing an additional 4,247 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions by 14.8% in the third quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 24,295 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $566,000 after buying an additional 3,134 shares in the last quarter. 75.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc engages in the provision of mission critical products, services and solutions for United States national security priorities. It operates through the Kratos Government Solutions (KGS) and Unmanned Systems (US) segments. The KGS segment consists of an aggregation of KGS operating segments, including microwave electronic products, space, satellite and cyber, training solutions.