Which has the lower trailing P/E, KTOS or MSM?

MSM has the lower trailing P/E: KTOS trades at 252.76 and MSM at 31.43. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, KTOS or MSM?

Over the past five years, KTOS grew revenue faster — KTOS at a 13.51% CAGR versus MSM at 4.34%.

Does KTOS or MSM pay a bigger dividend?

MSM pays a dividend (2.67% yield), while KTOS has no payments in the available dividend history.

Is KTOS or MSM more profitable?

MSM runs the higher net margin — KTOS at 2.03% versus MSM at 5.90%.

How have KTOS and MSM total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, KTOS delivered 20.11% and MSM delivered 10.82% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (KTOS) vs MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (MSM)

A side-by-side comparison of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. and MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of October 3, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

KTOS

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.

$8.08B

$43.07IndustrialsDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

MSM

MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc.

$7.27B

$130.12IndustrialsDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — KTOS vs MSM

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

KTOS +540.9% (+20.4%/yr)MSM +184.5% (+11.0%/yr)KTOS compounded faster over this window

KTOS MSM

KTOS vs MSM: by the numbers

•KTOS is the larger company ($8.08B vs $7.27B market cap).
•MSM trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (31.43 vs 252.76 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•MSM converts more revenue to profit (5.90% vs 2.03% net margin).
•KTOS grew revenue faster over the past five years (13.51% vs 4.34% CAGR).
•MSM pays a dividend (2.67% yield), while KTOS has no payments in the available dividend history.

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	KTOS	MSM
P/E ratio	252.76	31.43
Forward P/E	N/A	23.70
P/S ratio	5.30	1.86
P/B ratio	2.36	5.12
EV / EBITDA	59.99	17.47
FCF yield	N/A	3.03%

Profitability

Metric	KTOS	MSM
Gross margin	21.99%	40.82%
Operating margin	1.54%	8.80%
Net margin	2.03%	5.90%
ROE	0.90%	16.24%
ROIC	0.49%	12.36%

Dividends

Metric	KTOS	MSM
Dividend yield	N/A	2.67%
Payout ratio	N/A	84.06%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	KTOS	MSM
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	13.51%	4.34%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-28.43%	-4.65%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	N/A	5.48%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	13.79%	14.01%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, KTOS or MSM?: MSM has the lower trailing P/E: KTOS trades at 252.76 and MSM at 31.43. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, KTOS or MSM?: Over the past five years, KTOS grew revenue faster — KTOS at a 13.51% CAGR versus MSM at 4.34%.
Does KTOS or MSM pay a bigger dividend?: MSM pays a dividend (2.67% yield), while KTOS has no payments in the available dividend history.
Is KTOS or MSM more profitable?: MSM runs the higher net margin — KTOS at 2.03% versus MSM at 5.90%.
How have KTOS and MSM total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, KTOS delivered 20.11% and MSM delivered 10.82% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full KTOS analysis Full MSM analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions P/E ratio MSC Industrial Direct P/E ratio MSC Industrial Direct dividend yield Kratos Defense & Security Solutions ROE MSC Industrial Direct ROE Kratos Defense & Security Solutions operating margin MSC Industrial Direct operating margin Kratos Defense & Security Solutions revenue growth MSC Industrial Direct revenue growth Kratos Defense & Security Solutions free cash flow MSC Industrial Direct free cash flow

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions & MSC Industrial Direct appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Highest 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified October 3, 2026.