On Wednesday, Daktronics (DAKT.US) surged over 24% in early trading, reaching a 17-year high of $21.70. The rally was driven by the company's strong first-quarter fiscal 2026 results, which showed diluted earnings per share of $0.33, a significant turnaround from the $0.11 loss reported in the same period last year. This performance exceeded the $0.21 consensus estimate from two analysts surveyed by FactSet. For the quarter ended August 2, net sales totaled $219 million, down from $226.1 million in the prior-year period but above the $196.9 million expected by two FactSet-surveyed analysts. Additionally, the company reported first-quarter orders grew 35% year-over-year to $238.5 million, marking the third-highest quarterly orders in company history, driven by wins in major league sports venue projects.