KTOS vs MRCY Stock Comparison
Compare KTOS and MRCY across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.
What is the main difference between KTOS and MRCY?
KTOS leads the current stock comparison as Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., with the clearest separation coming from balanced and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. vs Mercury Systems, Inc.
KTOS leads
KTOS leads by 1 AIQ points, but the lead has narrowed from 6 points over 30 sessions.
Fragile: 2 of 6 evidence groups support KTOS, its lead is narrowing, and its current signal state is conflicted.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.
Mercury Systems, Inc.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors KTOS over MRCY, 34 versus 33 as of Sep 11, 2026. KTOS also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 2 of 6 covered evidence groups favor KTOS today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 1 points. KTOS lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 6 to 1 points over 30 sessions.
Compare Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. and Mercury Systems, Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price-return comparison using available daily close history.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000
Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.
Compare KTOS and MRCY against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Quality40 vs 37Even
- Risk Resilience60 vs 57Even
- Value25 vs 27Even
- Momentum22 vs 21Even
2 of 6 evidence groups favor KTOS. Neither name separates cleanly on the covered dimensions.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-09-10, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-09.
Largest factor move: Momentum +1
No new signals fired.
Largest factor move: Momentum +1
No new signals fired.
KTOS's lead was unchanged in the latest snapshot.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — KTOS and MRCY both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
KTOS (Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile.
MRCY (Mercury Systems, Inc.): the counter-case, on technicals.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
KTOSKTOS on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
MRCYMRCY on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
EvenThe two are level on Value.
Momentum
EvenThe two are level on Momentum.
Lower downside
KTOSKTOS carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility.
Analyst upside
KTOSKTOS on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.
| Measure | KTOS | MRCY | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +115.9% | +40.3% | KTOS has more room |
| Target dispersion | +59.5% | +55.7% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 12 | 7 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
2 of 6 covered evidence groups favor KTOS. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | Even | 34 vs 33 |
| Fundamentals | KTOSon balance | revenue growth 23.7% vs 22.9%; EPS growth -70.3% vs 127.8%; TTM ROE 1.1% vs -2%; gross margin 22% vs 26.7%; operating margin 1.5% vs 0.5% — KTOS takes 3 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | Even | Value 25 vs 27 |
| Technicals | MRCY | Price vs 50-day -10.7% vs -19.6%; vs 200-day -34.1% vs -10.8% |
| Risk Resilience | Even | Risk Resilience 60 vs 57 |
| Analyst expectations | KTOS | Target upside 115.9% vs 40.3% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of KTOS and MRCY and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is narrow at 1 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Only 2 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on KTOS.
How the comparison changed
119 daily snapshots · May 4 – Sep 10KTOS lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 6 to 1 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- KTOS +1
- 34 vs 33
- 7 sessions ago
- KTOS +2
- 34 vs 32
- 30 sessions ago
- KTOS +6
- 46 vs 40
- 90 sessions ago
- MRCY +6
- 36 vs 42
The lead changed hands 2 times in this window, most recently on Aug 5 when KTOS moved ahead of MRCY.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
1 bullish / 4 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (36.31%)
- Keltner Channel Breakdown — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Oversold - Potential Bounce — bullish, momentum, short horizon
2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (10.42%)
- Keltner Channel Breakdown — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Oversold - Potential Bounce — bullish, momentum, short horizon
KTOS leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.62%, AIQ 0 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.22%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1MRCY's Keltner Channel Breakdown resolves — a bearish volatility rule currently active against it.
- 2KTOS's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 4 bearish rules at once.
- 3The narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 5 points over 30 sessions, and a further 1-point move would eliminate KTOS's advantage entirely.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
KTOS leads on balance| Metric | KTOS | MRCY |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 23.7% | 22.9% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | -70.3% | 127.8% |
| Gross margin | 22% | 26.7% |
| Operating margin | 1.5% | 0.5% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 1.1% | -2% |
| Debt to equity | 0.06 | 0.33 |
Performance
MRCY leads 4 of 6 windows| Metric | KTOS | MRCY |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -1.7% | -2.6% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -26.4% | -26% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -14.3% | -24.7% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -47.2% | -6.5% |
| Year to date | -38.1% | 10.2% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -26.8% | 17.1% |
Technicals
MRCY has the stronger structure| Metric | KTOS | MRCY |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 19.7 | 23.1 |
| ADX (14) | 21.9 | 29 |
| Price vs 50-day | -10.7% | -19.6% |
| Price vs 200-day | -34.1% | -10.8% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 42.3% | 45.5% |
Risk
Split| Metric | KTOS | MRCY |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 2.18 | 2.31 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.13 | 0.5 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.23 | 0.68 |
| Max drawdown | -66.4% | -36.3% |
| Current drawdown | -64.1% | -36.3% |
| Annualized volatility | 72.5% | 58% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -7.2% | -5.3% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, KTOS or MRCY?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, KTOS is the stronger of the two as of Sep 11, 2026, scoring 34 against MRCY's 33. The edge comes from its factor profile. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is KTOS or MRCY the better buy right now?
KTOS carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 11, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 2 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the AIQ gap is narrow at 1 points. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor KTOS over MRCY?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. . Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, KTOS or MRCY?
Analyst price targets imply +115.9% upside for KTOS and +40.3% for MRCY, so the Street currently favors KTOS. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, KTOS or MRCY?
Neither name separates on the peer-relative Value factor. The two are level on Value. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, KTOS or MRCY?
MRCY on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, KTOS or MRCY?
The two are level on Momentum. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, KTOS or MRCY?
KTOS is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. KTOS carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is KTOS more profitable than MRCY?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 22% vs 26.7%; operating margin 1.5% vs 0.5%; ttm roe 1.1% vs -2%. KTOS leads on two measures and MRCY on one measure, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.
Is KTOS's lead over MRCY getting stronger or weaker?
KTOS lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 6 to 1 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 119 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-05-04 and 2026-09-10. The lead has changed hands 2 times in that window, most recently on 2026-08-05, when KTOS moved ahead of MRCY.
What would change the KTOS vs MRCY verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: MRCY's Keltner Channel Breakdown resolves — a bearish volatility rule currently active against it; KTOS's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 4 bearish rules at once; the narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 5 points over 30 sessions, and a further 1-point move would eliminate KTOS's advantage entirely.
What do the current signals say about KTOS and MRCY?
KTOS: 1 bullish / 4 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. MRCY: 2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on KTOS is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On MRCY it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare KTOS and MRCY with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.