nLIGHT's stock soared 14.47% in pre-market trading on Friday, following the release of its first-quarter 2026 financial results after the previous trading session.

The surge is driven by the company's quarterly results that significantly exceeded analyst expectations. nLIGHT reported revenue of $80.181 million, beating the consensus estimate of $72 million, and adjusted earnings per share of $0.22, far surpassing the $0.09 estimate. The company swung to a net income of $645 thousand from a loss in the prior-year period, with adjusted EBITDA soaring to $13.831 million against an estimate of $4.87 million.

Management attributed the strong performance to record growth in its aerospace and defense product revenue, which nearly doubled year-over-year. The company also provided an optimistic outlook for the second quarter, forecasting revenue between $75 million and $81 million, above analyst expectations of $71.2 million.