Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. KTOS scored 34.7, FTAI scored 69.4 — FTAI leads.
Compare another set
KTOS
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.
Aerospace & Defense · Quality-Growth
34.7
$42.36 · $8.0B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
34.7
FTAI leads
FTAI
FTAI Aviation Ltd.
Aerospace & Defense · Quality-Growth
69.4
$169.97 · $17.5B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestKTOS5.2x
Fastest growthFTAI+45.3%
Strongest balance sheetKTOS0.06
Highest qualityFTAI55 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/S multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
KTOS
stronger →← stronger
FTAI
26
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
55
86
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
98
18
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
62
FTAI is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
KTOS
FTAI
-$129mF
FCF
-$890mF
+18.5%B+
Rev
+45.3%A
0.06A
D/E
8.65D
5.2xC
P/S
5.6xC
36.41D
PEG
0.28A
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Model signals
KTOS
Why this score
Diluting shareholders
FTAI
Why this score
Raising its dividend
The companies
KTOSKratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.
Aerospace & Defense · $42.36 · beta 1.11
Why now
Aerospace & Defense · market cap $8.0b. Down 68% from 52-week high of $134.00 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +19%, comfortably above the S&P median. 23 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $100.04 (implying +136% upside).
Moat
Higher-variance name — the moat signals on the quantitative card are modest, so the durability case rests on execution (turning current growth into durable earnings power) or an un-monetized asset (IP / network effects / first-mover position) rather than an entrenched competitive position.
Risk
Free cash flow is negative (-$129m) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk. Down 68% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. Net margin 2.0% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first.
FTAIFTAI Aviation Ltd.
Aerospace & Defense · $169.97 · beta 1.57
Why now
Aerospace & Defense · market cap $17.5b. Down 47% from 52-week high of $323.51 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +45% — in hypergrowth territory. PEG 0.28 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 10 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $355.60 (implying +109% upside).
Moat
Net margin 16% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent.
Risk
D/E 8.65 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Free cash flow is negative (-$890m) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk. Down 47% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where KTOS and FTAI diverge
On the headline score the gap is 34.7 points in favor of FTAI. The widest single difference is Value, where FTAI leads by 43.4 points.
ValueKTOS 18.5 · FTAI 61.9FTAI +43.4
QualityKTOS 26.5 · FTAI 55.0FTAI +28.5
GrowthKTOS 85.6 · FTAI 98.3FTAI +12.7
Pillars run 0–100. Value is judged against each company's own sector, so a Value score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.
Common questions
Is FTAI or KTOS the better stock?
FTAI scores higher: FTAI 69.4, KTOS 34.7 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
Where do FTAI and KTOS differ most?
The widest gap is value, where FTAI leads by 43 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. FTAI leads all three pillars, so the gap is broad rather than a single-measure difference.
How are FTAI and KTOS scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.