Parsons Corporation (PSN) is writing a big check to beef up its defense technology credentials. The company announced Thursday it's buying Altamira Technologies Corporation for up to $375 million, and investors responded by pushing shares down about 1.7% in premarket trading.

The deal breaks down as $330 million in cash paid upfront, with another $45 million potentially coming due in the first quarter of 2027 if Altamira hits certain performance milestones. For context, Parsons had $422.55 million in cash and equivalents sitting on its balance sheet as of September 30, 2025, so this acquisition represents a meaningful deployment of capital.

What Parsons Is Actually Buying

Altamira Technologies, based in McLean, Virginia, specializes in analytics, signals intelligence and space systems engineering. That's defense-speak for the technical capabilities governments need to monitor communications, analyze data and operate space-based systems. The company has built a workforce of more than 600 people, and here's the kicker: over 90% hold security clearances, which is incredibly valuable in the defense contracting world where cleared personnel are always in demand.

Altamira's portfolio covers missile warning systems, AI and machine learning analytics, space support operations, and signals intelligence and cyber capabilities. These are growth areas for defense spending, particularly as the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community modernize their technical infrastructure.

Parsons expects Altamira to pull in more than $200 million in revenue during 2026, and management believes the acquisition will improve margins, accelerate revenue growth and boost earnings per share. The company says the deal checks all the boxes of its acquisition criteria.

The Strategic Rationale

Carey Smith, Parsons' chair, president and CEO, framed the acquisition as a way to accelerate the company's national security growth strategy. "Acquiring Altamira is a strategic accelerator for our national security growth strategy, strengthening Parsons' ability to deliver rapid and agile mission‑ready, intelligence‑driven solutions across the Department of War and the Intelligence Community," Smith said.

Translation: Parsons is positioning itself to compete more effectively for contracts involving advanced analytics, signals intelligence, cyber operations, missile warning and space capabilities. The acquisition expands Parsons' service offerings to both Defense Department and Intelligence Community customers, two of the more reliable sources of government spending.

The timing is notable. Parsons (PSN) stock has dropped over 26% in the past year, according to market data. Investors looking for exposure to the defense technology sector can also access it through funds like the Defiance Drone and Modern Warfare ETF (JEDI).

PSN Price Action: Parsons shares traded down 1.69% to $69.18 during Thursday's premarket session.