Deep dive · NasdaqGS: KTOS
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. stock analysis
Everything behind the call on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. 6 sections, ordered the way risk stacks up: survival first, quality and price in the middle, context last. The Beacon gives you the read. This is where you check the work.
The five reads
Why the reads disagreeread this before the sections
Street and Trend are pulling against each other and the split is genuine rather than a formality. The net lands at +3 over 30d, a leaning reading on a dispersion of 0.44, which makes this a question of size rather than of direction.
Leans up · and why
earnings, analyst moves, sentiment vote up. 2 of 6 independent evidence families agree.
Leans down · and why
insider flow, risk flags vote down. 4 of 6 families lean the other way. The conflict that matters is Street against Trend.
What it changes
Size, not direction. dealers are short gamma, so swings get bigger both ways; separately, the tail model puts a very bad day at −7.6%; and the binding position cap is 2.2% — the tail cap is the one that binds.
Global tapeOverseas lean+1.05%
FrankfurtWF5A+1.10%⏱London0JS0+4.17%⏱ZurichKTOS0.00%⏱MéxicoKTOS*0.00%⏱StockholmKTOSUSD0.00%⏱
Where else this company trades. A closed venue shows its last close, marked ⏱ — not a live price. Overseas lean is the average move across the 5 overseas venues listed above, excluding the home listing — a read on overnight sentiment rather than a signal.
The bottom linestart hereAs of 2026-09-25
Wall Street rating
Buy
+126% to the average target
90% buy · 10% hold · 0% sell
median target $103
median target $103
Chart pattern
Below both averages
The 50-day sits below the 200-day
50-day $51.60 · -11.6%
200-day $69.78 · -34.6%
200-day $69.78 · -34.6%
Earnings
In 37 days
3 Nov 2026 · options imply ±8.7%
beat 7–8 of the last 8
cohort P(beat) 79% · n=35,343
cohort P(beat) 79% · n=35,343
Dividend
0.00%
A rounding error against cash — this is a capital-gains position
Risk flags
3 on watch
5 checks run, 2 clear
beta 2.12 · vol 30% ann.
worst drawdown -66%
worst drawdown -66%
New to this? Every metric carries a plain-English read beside it, and an ⓘ next to a label opens the definition. Anything unfamiliar is also defined at the foot of the page under Glossary.
In one paragraphwhat the company actually does292 chars
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., a technology company, provides technology, hardware, products, system, and software for the defense, national security, and commercial markets in the United States, other North America, the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, and Internationally.
NasdaqGS · USDAerospace & Defense
$45.62-1.40 · -2.98%CLOSED · vol 3.18M
52-week range↑ 6% off low · ↓ 66.0% off high
$43.09now $45.62$134.00
Quote Sep 25, 2026 · 4:00 PM ET
Tape 2026-09-25
Factors 2026-09-25
Tape 2026-09-25
Factors 2026-09-25
01Ratios · Jul 7, 2026NO SOLVENCY RISK
Survival & solvency
Altman-Z of 13.4 against a 3.0 safe threshold, and 2 of 5 forensic checks clear.
↳ Plain EnglishBefore anything else: can this company pay its bills? These blocks check the balance sheet, whether your slice of ownership is being diluted, and whether the accounting looks honest.
Bankruptcy risk (Altman-Z)
13.38SAFE ZONE
Distress<1.8
Grey1.8–3.0
Safe>3.0
Profitability, leverage and liquidity combined into one number. Above 3.0 is the safe band.
Balance sheetJul 7, 2026
Distance to default (Merton)COMFORTABLE
4.7σ
How many standard deviations of asset value sit between the company and its debt. Above 4σ is comfortable.
1-year default probabilityEDF-CALIBRATED
0.29%
Calibrated against how often companies at this distance actually defaulted, rather than assuming a normal distribution.
Piotroski F-scoreWATCH
F 4/9
Piotroski F-score 4 of 9. Nine pass/fail tests covering profitability, leverage and operating efficiency; seven or more is strong.
Solvency and liquidity ratios
Current ratioshort-term assets against short-term bills4.06×healthy >2
Debt / equityborrowings against shareholder capital0.07
Leverage · long-term debt / equitythe borrowings that outlive a bad quarter0.12
Net cashcash on hand in excess of every borrowing$414.80M
Your ownership stake
Share-count growth vs peersHIGH DILUTION
85th pctile
Where this name's share-count growth ranks among peers. Lower is less dilutive.
SBC / operating cash flowCOVERED
60%
How much of the cash the business generates is being handed to employees as stock. The higher it runs, the more of a buyback is just offsetting it.
Accounting forensicsSEC filings
Red-flag x-rayGRADE B
70 / 100
0 critical · 3 watch · 2 clear of 5 scored tests
Red-flag x-ray · every check, passes included
CheckStatusValueWhat it looks for
Bankruptcy distressCLEARZ 13.38Altman-Z in the Safe · fundamentals
Earnings manipulationWATCHM -1.93M-score in range · fundamentals
LeverageCLEARLTD/E 0.06long-term debt 0.06× equity · fundamentals
Profitability qualityWATCHF 4/9Piotroski F-score 4 of 9 · fundamentals
Filing forensicsWATCH1 flag1 filing red flag on the latest 10-K · forensic
5 checks, 2 clear and 3 watch. The passes are shown because a score built from five checks means something different from one built from three.
02Refreshed · Sep 27, 2026FAIR · 56/100
Business quality
2% net margin, 1% return on equity, +19% revenue growth, and capital earning 1% against a 14% cost.
↳ Plain EnglishMargins tell you how much of each sales dollar the company keeps. Return on capital tells you whether reinvesting that money creates value. Both are read against what the filings support, not against a target.
Quality score
56 / 100FAIR
Profitability, growth and balance strength scored separately, then blended.
ProfitabilityRefreshed · Sep 27, 2026
Net marginOF EVERY SALES DOLLAR
1.6%
The share of revenue that survives every cost and becomes profit.
Gross marginPRICING POWER
22.9%
What is left of a sales dollar before overhead — the clearest read on pricing power.
Operating marginAFTER RUNNING COSTS
2.1%
What survives the cost of running the whole business.
Return on equityPER $1 OF EQUITY
1.1%
Annual return on each dollar of shareholder equity.
ROIC − WACC spreadDESTROYS VALUE
-12.7pp
Earns 1% on invested capital that costs about 14%. A positive spread means every retained dollar compounds rather than leaks.
Incremental ROIC (3y)ON NEW CAPITAL
3.4%
The return on capital put to work over the last three years — a sharper read than the trailing average, because it prices the newest decisions.
Growth & relative strength
Trailing return by period
1 month-15.0%
3 months-2.8%
6 months-36.6%
Year to date-42.5%
1 year-45.8%
Revenue growth (YoY)GROWING
+18.5%
Revenue against the same period a year ago.
EPS growth (YoY)IN LINE
+18.2%
Earnings per share against a year ago. Running ahead of revenue means margins are widening.
12-1 momentumEX LAST MONTH
-34.8%
Return over the last year excluding the most recent month — the standard momentum factor, which drops the short-term reversal.
Relative-strength rankBOTTOM 49%
49 / 100
Where this name's 3-month return against the S&P 500 ranks across the market — a quarter's standing, not the year's.
Around earningsAug 4, 2026
P(beat next quarter)COHORT BASE RATE
79%
survivor-tilted universe (currently-listed names; large-cap-skewed coverage)
Beat rate · this nameBEAT 7–8 OF THE LAST 8
8 of 8
Its own record against consensus. 8 prints is a small sample, which is why the cohort rate above carries the probability.
Fell after a beatP(FELL | BEAT)
52%
A beat is not a plan: this share of them still closed lower on the day.
Typical earnings moveMEDIAN ABSOLUTE
±6.7%
Unsigned magnitudes from its own prints. Direction is not part of this read.
Reaction: beat vs missASYMMETRIC
+1.4% / -3.5%
The average day-one move after a beat and after a miss. A miss dropping the stock further than a beat lifts it is the asymmetry worth sizing for.
Sells the newsON THE PRINT
No
No habit of selling off on a good report in the measured window.
Dividends & income
Data unavailableThis company does not pay a dividend. There is no yield, payout ratio or ex-dividend date to show, and the return case rests entirely on capital gains.
Signal
Not an income position.
No dividend is declared, so nothing here contributes to total return except the price. That is a fact about the security, not a criticism of it.
Inventory ledger
Data unavailableNo inventory detail is tagged in this company's filings. The ledger needs the XBRL inventory components, which a business without physical goods does not report.
Segments & geography
Data unavailableRevenue by segment and region is not on file for this name, so product and geographic concentration are not shown.
Pattern reliability · platform-wide cohortSnapshot · Sep 27, 2026
Downtrend · leans bearish
HorizonHigherMedianObservations
10d47%0.0%1,264,444
21d48%0.0%596,577
63d47%-0.6%187,417
slope -0.28 over 40 bars
Head and shoulders · leans bearish
HorizonHigherMedianObservations
10d49%0.0%499,633
21d51%+0.1%235,260
63d51%+0.3%74,900
head above two ≈-equal shoulders — bearish reversal
Inverse head and shoulders · leans bullish
HorizonHigherMedianObservations
10d49%0.0%494,581
21d50%0.0%232,288
63d51%+0.2%73,891
low below two ≈-equal shoulders — bullish reversal
Symmetrical triangle
HorizonHigherMedianObservations
10d46%-0.3%302,717
21d46%-0.5%142,134
63d46%-1.7%45,152
converging highs & lows — breakout pending
Near support · leans bullish
HorizonHigherMedianObservations
10d51%+0.1%536,115
21d53%+0.2%251,312
63d54%+0.4%78,900
testing recent support
Bollinger squeeze
HorizonHigherMedianObservations
10d43%0.0%764,373
21d45%0.0%357,385
63d47%0.0%112,620
bands at a multi-month tight — breakout pending
03
Price & timing
Price $45.62, RSI 36, and dealers short gamma.
↳ Plain EnglishA multiple is what the market charges for a dollar of this company's earnings, cash or revenue; the trend and the options tape say what the price is doing around it. Together they are the timing picture, not the quality one.
Trend
Below every average0 OF 3 AVERAGES
50-day $51.60 · 200-day $69.78. Price above both is the structural definition of an uptrend.
The setup right now
Price · 504 sessions2024-09-23 → 2026-09-25
price50-day200-daylevel
How to read this
Down 2.98% on the session.
Follow the solid line: each point is a session close. Compare it to the 50-day average — while price stays above it the short-term trend is up, and a drop below is the first structural warning.
The dashed levels are the strikes the options chain is most committed to. They are the same numbers the gamma block states; nothing here is drawn that no section derives.
Momentum (RSI-14)COOL
36
030 oversold70 hot100
Where momentum sits on a 0–100 scale. Above 70 is overbought, below 30 oversold; the middle says the move has room either way.
Typical day (ATR-14)±4.9%
$2.24
The average true range — how far this stock moves on an ordinary day. It sets the scale a stop has to clear.
MACDABOVE SIGNAL
+0.02
The short-term trend against its own signal line. The sign is the read; the size is not a target.
Bollinger position12% OF RANGE
Lower band
Where price sits inside its own volatility band. The edges are where a move is stretched, not where it reverses.
20-day VWAPPRICE BELOW
$47.82
The volume-weighted average of the last month. Price above it means recent buyers are, on average, in profit.
Chandelier exitBROKEN
$47.58
A volatility-based trailing stop, set a few average ranges below the recent high.
3 Nov 2026 · in 37 daysNext earningsThe next scheduled catalyst. The forward guide usually moves the tape more than the printed number. Date as the vendor last stated it on 12 Aug; companies confirm about three weeks ahead, so it can still move.
2026-09-29 · in 2 daysJob Openings (JOLTS)A scheduled macro release. It moves this stock independently of anything the company does.
Setup & oddsNightly
Direction oddsnext 12m
45 / 54cohort n=3,973
A lean, not a forecast. These are the cohort's odds — comparable names over the window — not this stock's own history.
Pullback riskoverstretch read
Elevated1.12× segment rate · n=857
Historically, mid names in this tape state saw a ≥10% pullback within 63 trading days in 89% of cases (n=857).
Overstretchvs the 20-day mean
-1.5σ
How many standard deviations price sits from its 20-day mean. Beyond 2σ is genuinely stretched; inside it is ordinary.
Bottom zoneif it breaks down
$42 – $453 supports
Where prior demand appeared: Pivot low at $45.47, S1 at $44.80, Pivot low at $43.09.
Slide scorefalling-knife check
82 / 100Falling knife
A composite of consecutive down days, gap risk and volume expansion. Low means any decline is orderly.
Signal
The odds lean, the stretch qualifies it.
Historically, names tripping 2 validated red flags finished lower 12 months later in 54% of cases (n=3,973) — a survivor-biased floor, not a forecast.
Valuation
Earnings yield vs cashBELOW CASH
-4.81pp
Cash pays more than the earnings yield today, so what you are buying is future growth rather than a current return.
Net cash per shareCASH BACKING
$2.46
Cash less every borrowing, per share. It is the part of the price that is not a claim on future profits.
Multiples
Trailing P/Eearnings already reported268.4×28th of its 5yr range
PEG ratioP/E divided by growth; near 1 reads fair for the growth5.85
Price / salesprice against revenue, before any of it becomes profit6.4×5yr median 3.0×
Price / bookprice against the accounting value of the assets4.3×
EV / EBITDAthe multiple an acquirer would pay79.1×
FCF yieldfree cash flow per dollar of market value-1.61%
6 of the 6 priced multiples above sit in the richer half of its band. Each priced multiple is read against this stock's own history where a five-year range is on file, so the question is whether today is dear for this name rather than for the market. The multiples are computed separately from the quote above and are not re-priced as it moves, so they can lag it.
Price horizon & timingSep 25, 2026
Entryzone of pivot low + S1
$45.39In zone
Where the composer's entry sits, on its own stated basis.
TargetCall wall
$50.00$49–$51
A zone, not a price. It is where the composer expects supply, not a forecast.
Stop2× ATR below entry
$40.92risk $4.48/sh
The level that says the setup is wrong, on the basis named beside it.
Risk / rewardtarget vs stop
1.03:1
Reward against risk on the composer's own levels.
Measure from a price$
To the 50-day
+13.1%
short-term trend line · $51.60
To the 200-day
+53.0%
primary trend line · $69.78
To the put wall
+9.6%
heaviest put open interest · $50.00
To the call wall
+9.6%
heaviest call open interest · $50.00
To the composer's target
+9.6%
Call wall · set Sep 25, 2026 · $50.00
To the composer's stop
-10.3%
2× ATR below entry · set Sep 25, 2026 · $40.92
To the 52-week high
+193.7%
highest print of the past year · $134.00
To the 52-week low
-5.5%
lowest print of the past year · $43.09
Options-implied week ±8.7%
$41.64 – $49.60
what the chain prices for the week
A typical day (ATR)
$43.38 – $47.86
±$2.24 average true range
Type any price to re-measure every distance from it. Each row is a level this page already states somewhere else, so nothing here is a new number — and none of it is a recommendation to trade at that price.
Signal
The levels line up.
Entry $45.39 · stop $40.92 · target $50.00, a 1.03:1 ratio. The composer flagged: elevated distress, fair-value reference, gamma ceiling.
Gamma mapChain · Sep 27, 2026
Signal
Short gamma — moves get amplified.
Dealers hedge in the same direction as the move, so swings get bigger both ways rather than one. That argues for a smaller position size, not for a direction.
Options tapeFront expiry 2026-10-02 · Chain · Sep 27, 2026
Max pain+9.6%
$50.00
The strike where most open options expire worthless. Price often drifts toward it into expiry.
Put / call ratio (OI)CALL-HEAVY
0.81
55% calls
45% puts
Open interest in puts against calls. Heavy call interest often caps how far price can run before expiry.
Put / call ratio (volume)TODAY'S FLOW
2.20
Today's traded flow rather than the standing position. It moves faster and means less.
Expected move (1-week)≈ $3.98
±8.7%
What the chain prices for the week. A range the market is charging for, not a forecast.
Largest open interest · front expiry
StrikeTypeOpen interest
$42.50PUT413
$45.00PUT285
$42.00PUT179
$48.00CALL152
$49.00CALL147
$44.00PUT134
Large call interest above the price acts as a magnet and a ceiling; large put interest below is a floor of hedges. The biggest strike is the level the market is most committed to defending into the next expiry.
Open interest by strikeexpires 2026-10-02CallsPutsMax pain $50.00
21
$49.50
18147
$49.00
7724
$48.50
0152
$48.00
2928
$47.50
17129
$47.00
8715
$46.50
4310
$46.00
1110
$45.50
2226
$45.00
2851
$44.50
338
$44.00
1340
$43.50
142
$43.00
560
$42.50
4131
$42.00
179
The shaded row is the strike nearest the price. Heavy call interest above acts as a ceiling; heavy put interest below is a floor of hedges.
↑ 52-week high$134.00+193.7%The highest print of the past year.Old highs draw profit-taking on the first attempt.
↑ Call wall$50.00+9.6%Heaviest call open interest on the front expiry.Acts as a ceiling into expiry; a close above usually needs a catalyst.
◇ Max pain$50.00+9.6%Where most open options expire worthless.Price often drifts toward it into the close of the expiry week.
↓ 50-day average$51.60+13.1%The line the short-term trend is measured against.A close beneath it is the first structural warning.
↓ Put wall$50.00+9.6%Heaviest put open interest — a floor of hedges.Dealer buying tends to build as price approaches.
0413F quarterly · Form 4 dailyNET SIGNAL +3
Ownership & flow
Institutions hold 85%, short interest is 5.45% of float, and 20 analysts average $103.
↳ Plain EnglishWho is buying and selling, and what they had to disclose. Institutions file 13F 45 days after quarter end, executives file Form 4 within two days, and Congress discloses under the STOCK Act with a 30–45 day legal lag. Every one of those is a look backwards.
Net signal
+3LEANING · 30d
3 bull / 2 bear factors. The points sum to the net beside the label; nothing here is weighted after the fact.
The QTick signalNightly
Analyst moves90D · TIMING
+1
1 analyst upgrade in 90d
Earnings4 QUARTERS · TIMING
+3
latest EPS beat by 38%
Insider flow120D · TIMING
-1
net insider selling ($28,074,725 across 56 sells) in 120d
Sentiment1–30D · TIMING
+1
7d sentiment elevated (100/100)
Risk flagsDAILY · CONTEXT
-1
expensive valuation (bottom-quintile earnings yield)
Signal
3 bull / 2 bear factors
Independent factors scored and netted to +3 over 30d, a leaning reading. 5 of 9 factors carried a direction; the others scored zero and do not vote. The signal describes where the data leans, not what to do about it.
Cross-category readSep 26, 2026
Signal
4 of 6 families lean down.
Descriptive only — a decorrelated read of where the evidence agrees and conflicts, not a forecast and not advice. Patterns are condition lists, not outcome predictions, and are not yet validated to the proof bar. Dispersion of 0.44 means the disagreement is a genuine split.
Wall Street20 covering firms
Consensus rating20 ANALYSTS
Buy
90% buy · 10% hold · 0% sell, as a share of the 20 covering firms.
Median price target+126%
$103
$60now $46$150
A $60–$150 spread across the panel. A twelve-month view, and a wide spread means real disagreement rather than a consensus.
Forward EPS estimateCONSENSUS
$1.10
What the panel expects the company to earn per share.
Recent analyst moves · last 90 days
FirmTargetDirectionRank
Guggenheim$74↑51/100
Truist Securities$104↓51/100
Canaccord Genuity$135↑61/100
Stifel$115↓55/100
BTIG$104↑60/100
Piper Sandler$75↑57/100
Cantor Fitzgerald$100↓48/100
Upgrades, downgrades and target changes from covering firms. A cluster of moves in one direction matters more than any single target; the rank is the firm's own credibility score, or a dash below the scoring floor.
Who owns it13F quarterly · Form 4 daily
Institutional ownershipINSTITUTIONALLY HELD
85.4%
The share held by 13F filers. It describes last quarter's positioning, not today's — filings land up to 45 days after quarter end.
Insider ownershipOFFICERS & DIRECTORS
1.3%
The share held by the people running the company.
Short interest (float)LIGHT
5.45%
Rising — shares short changed +20.8% over 30 days. A crowded short is fuel in both directions.
Free float99% OF SHARES
184.72M
Shares actually available to trade, excluding insider and restricted holdings.
Dollar volume (ADV)91st PCTILE
$177.55M/day
At this depth, position size is not a constraint for a retail account.
Borrow feeData unavailableWe do not license securities-lending data, so the annualized cost of borrowing shares to short is not something we can show. Short interest and days-to-cover above are the closest read we can source.
Insider filings · Form 4
InsiderTradeAmountPlanTraded
Lund Deanna H · Director, EVP & CFOSell$142,378—21 Sep
Lund Deanna H · Director, EVP & CFOSell$199,096—21 Sep
Mendoza Marie · SVP & General CounselSell$48,500—15 Sep
Carrai Phillip D · President, STC DivisionSell$20,535—15 Sep
Carrai Phillip D · President, STC DivisionSell$162,811—15 Sep
Carrai Phillip D · President, STC DivisionSell$127,555—15 Sep
Executives must file within two business days. Sales on pre-set 10b5-1 plans are scheduled months ahead and carry little signal; tax withholding, exercises and awards are compensation mechanics, not trades; the open-market lines are the ones to read.
The story · news & sentimentRolling window
Why it moved todayNEWS
-2.98%
KTOS fell −2.98% since the last close, amid recent coverage: “Defense Sector Moderation Weighs on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS) - Yahoo Finance” (Yahoo Finance).
News tone · 7-day—
100 / 100
Headline polarity over the window, scored from news articles. Above 60 leans positive, below 40 negative. Colour, not a signal.
Newswire · 49 stories
WhenHeadlineSourceTone
15h agoKratos Defence: Strong Momentum, But The Valuation Keeps Me Cautious (NASDAQ:KTOS) - Seeking AlphaSeeking Alphanot scored
16h agoKratos Defense & Security Solutions: Buy Even At A Double Premium (NASDAQ:KTOS) - Seeking AlphaSeeking Alphanot scored
20h agoKTOS Oct 2026 64.000 call (KTOS261002C00064000) Stock Price, News, Quote & History - Yahoo! Finance CanadaYahoo! Finance Canadanot scored
21h agoKTOS Oct 2026 46.500 call (KTOS261002C00046500) Stock Price, News, Quote & History - Yahoo! Finance CanadaYahoo! Finance Canadanot scored
21h agoKTOS Oct 2026 66.000 call (KTOS261002C00066000) Stock Price, News, Quote & History - Yahoo! Finance CanadaYahoo! Finance Canadanot scored
FriKratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) Stock Price Down 3% - Should You Sell? - MarketBeatMarketBeatnot scored
FriDefense Sector Moderation Weighs on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS)Insider Monkeynot scored
FriDefense Sector Moderation Weighs on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS) - Yahoo FinanceYahoo Financenot scored
Coverage published around the move, newest first. Nothing here measures causation — only the why-it-moved card above is matched to the tape by timestamp.
CongressSTOCK Act · 30–45d lag
Signal
Net selling.
1 of 6 disclosures are buys and 5 are sales. Lawmakers disclose on a 30–45 day legal lag, so this describes what was done weeks ago, not what is being done now.
0511 graded callsORDINARY VOLATILITY
Risk & track record
Beta 2.12, 30% annual volatility, a -66% worst drawdown, and 3 of 8 risk surfaces clear.
↳ Plain EnglishWhat owning it does to a portfolio, what the model votes against, and how often our own calls have been right. Every call is graded when it resolves, and the ones still open stay visible.
A very bad day (EVT)
−7.6%1-IN-200 DAY
Fitted to the tail of the return distribution rather than assuming a bell curve. Size the position so a day like this is survivable.
What it does to a portfolio5-year window
Beyond the tail (ES)1-IN-1,000 DAY
−10.9%
The average loss on a 1-in-1,000 day or worse — deeper in the tail than the 1-in-200 figure above and further than the measured history reaches, so it reads as the scale of a crash, not a forecast of one.
Tail understatementNEAR-NORMAL
1.1×
The tail runs close to what a normal curve would predict, so volatility is a reasonable proxy for risk here — which is not true of every name.
Max drawdownIT CAN HALVE
-66.4%
The deepest peak-to-trough fall in the measured window. Only hold a position you can watch do this.
Beta (vs the market)AMPLIFIES
2.12
Moves about 2.1× the market over the past year.
Annualized volatilityORDINARY
30%
How far it swings over a year, from its own realized returns.
Tactical phaseNIGHTLY READ
Falling knife
Selling pressure64
Buying pressure0
Overheat0
State: falling_knife — Still breaking lower without consolidation — a fresh swing-low printed and no basing pattern has formed yet.
What votes againstNightly
LowInsider flownet insider selling ($28,074,725 across 56 sells) in 120d120d · -1
LowRisk flagsexpensive valuation (bottom-quintile earnings yield)Daily · -1
Signal
2 of 9 factors vote against.
Ranked by the size of each factor's own point contribution to the net signal — these are the model's stated reasons, not a written bear case. Each one is scored from the source named beside it.
Failure modes · by company type
Data unavailableFailure modes are routed per company type, and only the bank-run and crypto-treasury rulebooks are validated so far. This name routes as growth, so there is no cohort-specific checklist to run. A generic list would read as analysis without being any.
The risk case · why not to buy8 surfaces · nightly
Suggested position capmax defensible size
2.2%tail cap binds
max defensible size 2.2% - tail binds
Avoid score6-month distress
36.4%3.9× its cohort · most-traded mega-caps
Observational 6-month large-drawdown risk ranking — not a forecast, not alpha. Historical distress rate for this most-traded mega-caps segment: 9.3%. This name reads 3.9× that base rate.
LowDistress screenThe distress model did not score this name in the latest run, so this surface is unmeasured rather than clear.Not scored
MedPosition size, not conviction, is the binding constrainthalf-Kelly 27.2% · tail cap 2.2% · category cap 54.6%. The tail cap binds, so 2.2% is the number (n=92,785). We show which one binds rather than the friendliest.Sizing
LowLottery-ticket behaviourIts best 21-day return sits at 2.4% against a 9.6% cohort 90th-percentile threshold — below the line where forward returns have historically turned negative.Behaviour
HighCash runwayAbout 44.1 quarters of cash at current burn ($1.5B cash against $133M a year of burn) - names in this bucket: 16.3% catastrophe rate within a year.Solvency
LowPost-earnings driftDrift odds at full strength (+2.24% / 63-day spread reference from measured post-earnings drift).Timing
LowDividend riskNot scored for this name.Not scored
LowRestatement historyFiling history is not deep enough to check for restatements.Not scored
LowCrowded shortNot in a warn state: the crowded-short model only publishes when short interest and thin liquidity coincide, and neither condition is met here.Not scored
Signal
3 of 8 surfaces clear.
8 surfaces checked, 3 clear. The binding constraint is position size — the tail cap is the one that binds. Each row states which surface it is and what it measured; a surface that could not be scored says so rather than counting as clear.
Who should skip it
Skip it if any of these is you
You can't sit through -66%
That is this name's deepest measured fall, on 30% annualized volatility. A drawdown of that size is normal here, not exceptional.
You want income
A 0.00% yield is a rounding error against cash. This is a capital-gains position.
You're already heavy in this market
A 2.12 beta means you would be stacking the same bet rather than spreading it.
You'd be buying into earnings
A report lands in 37 days, and the chain prices ±8.7% for the week.
You'd size it like a core holding
The binding cap is 2.2% of a portfolio. Above that the tail stops being survivable.
Our track record11 resolved
Track recordBUILDING IN THE OPEN
29 logged
29 calls logged on this name, 11 resolved so far. Calls are logged the moment they are made, so the open ones are public before anyone knows how they turn out, and a hit-rate is not published until enough of them resolve.
Calls on KTOSTHIS NAME
29
This name's own call count. Too few have resolved to publish a rate over them, so none is shown rather than a rate over 11.
0610-K disclosed linksAEROSPACE & DEFENSE
The wider context
5 mapped peers, 2 connections.
↳ Plain EnglishCompanies do not trade alone. This is the peer set, the supply chain that has to deliver, and the macro variables that move the stock regardless of company news.
Rate sensitivity
+3.2% per +1ppSECTOR
This is the SECTOR prior, not a measurement of this name — the regression did not clear its own bar. The verdict beside it (tailwind) comes from the prior too, so the two agree by construction rather than by evidence.
Versus peersLatest session
Peer set · 5 names
SymbolRelationshipPriceSession
GEPeer$327.09+2.29%
RTXPeer$189.40+0.42%
BAPeer$198.07+0.65%
LMTPeer$519.56-0.79%
HWMPeer$232.48+1.35%
The mapped peer set and how each traded in the latest session. A peer moving with this name says the move is the sector's; one moving against it says the move is this company's.
Time machineHistory from 2023-06-01
Signal
1 of 4 backward windows are positive.
Look-back returns describe what happened, not what is likely. They are here to set the scale a future move would be measured on.
Macro driversRolling window
Next macro catalystIN 2 DAYS
Job Openings (JOLTS)
2026-09-29. A scheduled release that moves this stock independently of anything the company does.
Events · what moves this stockSep 27, 2026
Industrial productionUsually helps when factory output comes in stronger than expected
Industrial companies sell into exactly this activity.
Typical for the Industrials sector
On the day +0.1% · A week later +0.1% · Two weeks later -0.4% · Rose on 16 of 39 report days
Across the last 39 Industrial production reports since Jun 15, 2023, KTOS moved +0.1% on average on the day and was 0.4% lower two weeks later. The S&P 500 moved +0.1% on those days.
GDP (advance estimate)Usually helps when the economy grows faster than expected
Industrial companies sell into exactly this activity.
Typical for the Industrials sector
On the day +0.1% · A week later +0.3% · Two weeks later +1.2% · Rose on 5 of 13 report days
Across the last 13 GDP (advance estimate) reports since Jul 28, 2023, KTOS moved +0.1% on average on the day and was 1.2% higher two weeks later. The S&P 500 moved +0.2% on those days.
Initial jobless claimsUsually hurts when more people file for benefits than expected
Rising layoffs signal factories and builders are slowing.
Typical for the Industrials sector
On the day -0.1% · A week later +1.1% · Two weeks later +2.2% · Rose on 83 of 171 report days
Across the last 171 Initial jobless claims reports since Jun 8, 2023, KTOS moved -0.1% on average on the day and was 2.2% higher two weeks later. The S&P 500 moved 0.0% on those days.
Core PCE (the Fed's gauge) is due in 3 days.
Core PCE (the Fed's gauge)Usually hurts when inflation runs hotter than expectedFactories pay more for materials before they can raise their own prices, and higher rates slow orders.
Typical for the Industrials sector
On the day -0.3% · A week later +0.7% · Two weeks later +4.1% · Rose on 16 of 39 report days
Across the last 39 Core PCE (the Fed's gauge) reports since Jun 28, 2023, KTOS moved -0.3% on average on the day and was 4.1% higher two weeks later. The S&P 500 moved +0.2% on those days.
FOMC decisionUsually hurts when the Fed sounds more hawkish than expected
Costlier financing slows factory and equipment orders.
Typical for the Industrials sector
On the day 0.0% · A week later +2.4% · Two weeks later +5.2% · Rose on 18 of 39 report days
Across the last 39 FOMC decision reports since Jul 1, 2023, KTOS moved 0.0% on average on the day and was 5.2% higher two weeks later. The S&P 500 moved -0.1% on those days.
Housing startsUsually helps when more homes are started than expected
Building products and equipment makers.
Typical for the Industrials sector
On the day -0.3% · A week later -0.1% · Two weeks later +1.0% · Rose on 19 of 39 report days
Across the last 39 Housing starts reports since Jun 20, 2023, KTOS moved -0.3% on average on the day and was 1.0% higher two weeks later. The S&P 500 moved 0.0% on those days.
Job openings (JOLTS) is due in 2 days.
Job openings (JOLTS)Usually helps when job openings come in higher than expectedStrong hiring means factories and builders are busy.
Typical for the Industrials sector
On the day 0.0% · A week later +2.9% · Two weeks later +3.6% · Rose on 22 of 39 report days
Across the last 39 Job openings (JOLTS) reports since Jul 5, 2023, KTOS moved 0.0% on average on the day and was 3.6% higher two weeks later. The S&P 500 moved 0.0% on those days.
Jobs report (nonfarm payrolls) is due in 5 days.
Jobs report (nonfarm payrolls)Usually helps when hiring comes in stronger than expectedStrong hiring means factories and builders are busy.
Typical for the Industrials sector
On the day +1.0% · A week later +3.7% · Two weeks later +4.7% · Rose on 27 of 39 report days
Across the last 39 Jobs report (nonfarm payrolls) reports since Jul 6, 2023, KTOS moved +1.0% on average on the day and was 4.7% higher two weeks later. The S&P 500 moved -0.1% on those days.
Customer momentum
Data unavailableCustomer momentum needs listed customers that disclose a revenue dependence on this company, and none is on file. The connections below are a different map: competitors and partners, most of them curated rather than filed.
Connections2 links · none confirmed
Direct connections · 2 edges
CompanyRelationSessionProvenance
AVAV · Competitorcompetitor-4.10%Rumored · manual
ANDURIL · Competitorcompetitornot pricedRumored · manual
0 of 2 edges are named in a filing; the rest come from reporting we have not matched to one yet, and are labelled as such.
Suppliers, customers & competitors
Named competitors
AVAVCompetitorcompetitor
ANDURILCompetitorcompetitor
Glossary · every term on this page
Survival
Altman Z
Bankruptcy-risk score. Above 3.0 is the safe band.
Piotroski F
Nine pass/fail health tests; 7 or more is strong.
Beneish M
Accrual and growth pattern screen. Clear below −2.22, watch to −1.78, elevated above; a year of very fast revenue growth lifts it by construction.
Merton DTD
Standard deviations of asset value between the company and its debt.
EDF
Default frequency calibrated on what actually happened to similar names.
Price & tape
RSI-14
Momentum gauge 0–100. Above 70 is overbought, below 30 oversold.
ATR
Average true range — the size of a typical day.
VWAP
20-day volume-weighted average price — the average paid over the last month; the page shows no intraday VWAP.
Supertrend
A trend-following stop line. A close through it flips the read.
Chandelier
A trailing stop set a few average ranges below the recent high.
Options & flow
Gamma / GEX
Dealer hedging pressure. Negative gamma amplifies moves both ways.
Call / put wall
The strikes with the heaviest open interest; they act as ceiling and floor.
Max pain
The strike where most options expire worthless.
13F · Form 4
Institutional filings, 45 days after quarter end. Insider trades, within two days.
Scoring
Composite signal
Independent factors scored and netted into one number.
Hit-rate
Share of past calls that resolved in the direction stated.
Brier score
Calibration measure. Lower means stated probabilities track reality.
HHI
Concentration 0–10,000. Above 2,500 means one segment carries the company.
EVT
Fits the tail rather than assuming a bell curve, so bad days are not understated.