Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) shareholders have endured a 54% loss from investing in the stock a year ago

The nature of investing is that you win some, and you lose some. Unfortunately, shareholders of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) have suffered share price declines over the last year. The share price has slid 54% in that time. We note that it has not been easy for shareholders over three years, either; the share price is down 48% in that time. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 28% in the last 90 days. We note that the company has reported results fairly recently; and the market is hardly delighted. You can check out the latest numbers in our company report.

With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies.

View our latest analysis for Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Given that Kratos Defense & Security Solutions didn't make a profit in the last twelve months, we'll focus on revenue growth to form a quick view of its business development. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one does expect good top-line growth.

In the last twelve months, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions increased its revenue by 6.7%. While that may seem decent it isn't great considering the company is still making a loss. Without profits, and with revenue growth sluggish, you get a 54% loss for shareholders, over the year. We'd want to see evidence that future revenue growth will be stronger before getting too interested. When a stock falls hard like this, it can signal an over-reaction. Our preference is to wait for a fundamental improvements before buying, but now could be a good time for some research.

You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

earnings-and-revenue-growth

We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. If you are thinking of buying or selling Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 19% in the twelve months, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions shareholders did even worse, losing 54%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 1.8% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It is all well and good that insiders have been buying shares, but we suggest you check here to see what price insiders were buying at.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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