- Analyst firm Raymond James reiterated a Strong Buy rating and raised the price target for Nlight Inc.
- Nlight Inc significantly beat Q1 2026 earnings and revenue estimates, marking its fourth consecutive beat.
- Strong growth in the aerospace and defense market, along with a positive Q2 revenue outlook, indicates continued momentum for the laser technology company.
Nlight Inc (NASDAQ:LASR) is a company that develops and manufactures high-power semiconductor and fiber lasers. These advanced products are crucial for industrial, medical, and aerospace markets. On May 8, 2026, analyst firm Raymond James reiterated its Strong Buy rating for nLight and raised its price target to $100.00 from $75.00.
This positive analyst view follows the company’s strong first-quarter 2026 financial results. As highlighted by Zacks, Nlight Inc reported earnings per share of $0.20, which significantly beat the consensus estimate of $0.08. This demonstrates a major improvement from the $0.04 loss per share reported in the same quarter last year, showcasing robust financial performance.
Revenue for the quarter also showed impressive growth, reaching $80.2 million. This figure represents a 55.2% increase from the previous year and surpassed analyst estimates. This marks the fourth straight quarter where Nlight Inc has beaten both earnings and revenue expectations, indicating a consistent pattern of strong operational performance and market demand for its laser solutions.
A key driver of this growth is the thriving aerospace and defense market segment. Revenue from this segment increased by 68.6% year-over-year to $55.1 million. As highlighted by Business Wire, nLight achieved record defense product revenue, which nearly doubled compared to the previous year, contributing to record overall financial results for the laser manufacturer.
Looking ahead, nLight provides a positive outlook for its future performance. The company guides for second-quarter revenues between $75 million and $81 million, a range that is above the current consensus estimate. The CEO notes a strong pipeline of directed energy opportunities, suggesting significant potential for continued growth in the coming years for the high-power laser industry leader.
