KTOS vs AXON Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
KTOS is a defense technology company developing advanced drone and missile defense systems for the U.S. military, while AXON is a public safety technology company providing law enforcement with Tasers, cameras, and software — both are technology-forward government technology providers at different scales and with very different end-market dynamics.
KTOS vs AXON compares two government technology companies: Kratos's defense drone and satellite systems for military customers versus Axon's integrated weapons-and-software platform for law enforcement.
AXON holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. AXON has delivered stronger 1-year price return (-39.59% vs -41.31%), though KTOS has the better forward P/E setup (42.80x vs 45.33x for AXON). AXON leads on both revenue growth (35.30%) and operating margin (5.17%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for KTOS (+120.87%) than for AXON (+47.33%).
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
- Want defense technology exposure focused on affordable drone systems and hypersonic programs
- Believe unmanned aerial combat vehicles represent a significant future defense procurement category
- See Kratos's early-mover position in attritable drone systems as a long-term competitive advantage
- Want exposure to a law enforcement technology platform with highly recurring software revenues
- Value Axon's strong customer retention and upsell dynamics from Taser relationships into Evidence.com and AI tools
- Believe AI features like Draft One will accelerate Axon's revenue per officer over the coming years
| Metric | KTOS | AXON |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 56.1 | 69.1 |
| AI ranki | #254 | #50 |
| Latest closei | $47.33 | $453.50 |
| 1M returni | -21.84% | -26.84% |
| 6M returni | -44.06% | -9.69% |
| 1Y returni | -41.31% | -39.59% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | KTOS | AXON |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $5.87K (-41.3%) started 2025-09-18 | $6.03K (-39.7%) started 2025-09-17 |
| 5Y ago | $21.04K (+110.4%) started 2021-09-20 | $26.22K (+162.2%) started 2021-09-20 |
| 10Y ago | $72.27K (+622.7%) started 2016-09-19 | $174.29K (+1642.9%) started 2016-09-19 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | KTOS | AXON |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $8.98B | $38.94B |
| Trailing P/Ei | 281.29 | 199.72 |
| Forward P/Ei | 42.80 | 45.33 |
| Price/Salesi | N/A | N/A |
| EV/Revenuei | 5.08 | 12.46 |
| Analyst targeti | $105.62 | $706.21 |
| Target upsidei | +120.87% | +47.33% |
| Metric | KTOS | AXON |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 30.50% | 35.30% |
| Earnings growthi | 7.40% | -18.20% |
| EPS growthi | +7.40% | -18.20% |
| FCF margini | -7.77% | +6.90% |
| Operating margini | -0.17% | 5.17% |
| Profit margini | 2.03% | 6.19% |
| ROIC proxyi | 1.15% | 6.22% |
| Return on equityi | 1.15% | 6.22% |
| Dividend yieldi | N/A | N/A |
| Payout ratioi | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend growth streaki | N/A | N/A |
| Betai | 1.11 | 1.40 |
| Debt/equityi | 5.65 | 50.36 |
| Current ratioi | 5.54 | 2.15 |
| Quick ratioi | 4.74 | 1.58 |
Over the past year, KTOS and AXON have moved moderately in the same direction (correlation of 0.42), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | KTOS | AXON |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | -41.31% | -39.68% |
| CAGRi | -41.33% | -39.72% | |
| Volatilityi | 71.43% | 62.95% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.45 | -0.56 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.64 | -0.79 | |
| Max drawdowni | 66.43% | 55.51% | |
| Current drawdowni | 63.79% | 41.68% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 38.17% | 30.90% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 43.21% | 33.75% | |
| Max daily dropi | 14.20% | 14.28% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 22.00% | 26.04% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +110.38% | +162.23% |
| CAGRi | +16.06% | +21.30% | |
| Volatilityi | 52.95% | 50.60% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.46 | 0.54 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.71 | 0.83 | |
| Max drawdowni | 66.43% | 60.28% | |
| Current drawdowni | 63.79% | 47.93% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 26.61% | 18.40% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 32.84% | 24.82% | |
| Max daily dropi | 14.20% | 16.42% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 22.00% | 30.05% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +622.67% | +1642.89% |
| CAGRi | +21.88% | +33.11% | |
| Volatilityi | 50.84% | 50.45% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.56 | 0.73 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.83 | 1.12 | |
| Max drawdowni | 72.74% | 60.28% | |
| Current drawdowni | 63.79% | 47.93% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 27.89% | 17.57% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 34.68% | 22.76% | |
| Max daily dropi | 22.32% | 16.42% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 27.78% | 30.05% |
| Category | KTOS | AXON |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. | Axon Enterprise, Inc. |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Aerospace & Defense | Aerospace & Defense |
| Core business | Kratos Defense develops affordable, high-technology defense systems including jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), missile target drones, satellite communication systems, and hypersonic test vehicles for the U.S. military and allies. | Axon provides integrated law enforcement and public safety technology including Taser conducted energy weapons, body cameras, fleet cameras, digital evidence management (Evidence.com), and AI-powered tools for police departments and correctional facilities. |
| Investor focus | Investors track Kratos's drone and unmanned systems program development and contract wins, production ramp opportunities for affordable tactical drone systems, and revenue from satellite and space technology services. | Investors track Axon's software and services revenue growth (the highest-margin recurring component), Taser hardware adoption rates, international expansion, and AI features including Draft One (AI report writing). |
- Pioneer in affordable, high-performance drone systems at a price point enabling attritable (expendable) tactical use
- Valkyrie unmanned combat aerial vehicle positions Kratos for a significant new category in autonomous air combat
- Satellite communication ground systems provide stable, recurring contract revenue alongside hardware programs
- Taser brand dominance in conducted energy weapons creates captive customer relationships for software upsell
- Evidence.com digital evidence management platform is deeply integrated into law enforcement workflows
- AI-powered Draft One report writing tool is rapidly gaining adoption, demonstrating strong AI product-market fit
- Defense drone programs are complex, multi-year development processes with uncertain production timelines
- Competing against larger, better-resourced defense companies for major drone procurement programs
- Revenue can be lumpy as program awards and transitions drive episodic recognition
- Political and social controversy around police use of force tools creates sporadic customer and brand risk
- International expansion faces varying regulatory and law enforcement culture differences
- Premium valuation reflects high growth and software attach rate expectations that must be sustained
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