nLIGHT Inc. (NASDAQ:LASR) shares are soaring Friday after reporting third-quarter results that beat analyst estimates and issuing fourth-quarter sales guidance well above expectations.
- nLight shares are climbing with conviction. What’s fueling LASR momentum?
nLIGHT Stock Rises After Earnings Beat and Higher Outlook
nLIGHT shares are climbing after the laser maker beat Wall Street’s third-quarter forecasts on both profit and sales. It earned an adjusted 16 cents a share, over three times the 5 cents analysts projected and double the 8 cents from a year earlier.
Revenue of $73.76 million beat the $68.15 million estimate by 8.24% and grew 10.52% from $66.74 million in the year-earlier quarter. Adjusted EBITDA rose 55.4% to $11.05 million, up from $7.11 million.
The forecast may carry more weight. Analysts had estimated $75.11 million in fourth-quarter sales, yet nLIGHT expects between $84 million and $90 million. The $87 million midpoint, about 16% above the estimate, breaks down as roughly $24 million from advanced development and $63 million from products. Adjusted EBITDA is guided to between $12 million and $18 million for the quarter.
The forecast also excludes about $15 million in hardware sales that were scheduled to ship this quarter. Supply bottlenecks pushed those deliveries into the opening half of 2027.
nLIGHT Cites Defense Demand Despite Supply Limits
CEO Scott Keeney said third-quarter revenue beat the top of nLIGHT’s own guidance and that product gross margins reached a record despite supply constraints. Keeney added that “demand for our products remains strong,” with opportunities growing in directed energy, sensing and manufacturing.
To meet that demand, nLIGHT is spending on manufacturing capacity and its supply chain, Keeney said. Keeney sees the company in a good spot as its defense work graduates from development to deployment and production.
LASR Shares Are Booming
LASR Price Action: nLight shares were up 27.16% at $37.31 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro.
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