LightPath Technologies Inc LPTH shares are trading higher Wednesday after the company secured an order to supply advanced infrared camera systems.

What Happened: Optics and imaging systems provider LightPath said it secured an $18.2 million purchase order with a leading global technology customers for the supply of infrared cameras in 2026.

The company also announced that it expects to receive future purchase orders of up to $22 million for a second tranche of products to be delivered in 2027.

“Our momentum is being driven by strong geopolitical tailwinds in the defense industry, as our products are becoming increasingly vital to western defense contractors, especially those seeking more secure supply chains with alternatives to Germanium,” said Sam Rubin, CEO of LightPath.

“Export restrictions on Germanium imposed by China, which supplies a significant portion of the world’s Germanium, is driving the shift away from Germanium. With scaling demand and growing interest in our BlackDiamond glass, we are well positioned to meet the rapidly evolving needs of our defense and commercial customers.”

By now you're likely curious about how to participate in the market for LightPath Technologies – be it to purchase shares, or even attempt to bet against the company.

Buying shares is typically done through a brokerage account. You can find a list of possible trading platforms here. Many will allow you to buy “fractional shares,” which allows you to own portions of stock without buying an entire share.

If you're looking to bet against a company, the process is more complex. You'll need access to an options trading platform, or a broker who will allow you to “go short” a share of stock by lending you the shares to sell. The process of shorting a stock can be found at this resource. Otherwise, if your broker allows you to trade options, you can either buy a put option, or sell a call option at a strike price above where shares are currently trading – either way it allows you to profit off of the share price decline.

LPTH Price Action: LightPath shares were up 23.93% at $6.08 at the time of publication Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro.

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