Novanta (NASDAQ:NOVT) Issues Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

Novanta (NASDAQ:NOVT) updated its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Monday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 0.750-0.800 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 0.850. The company issued revenue guidance of $250.0 million-$255.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $253.3 million. Novanta also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 3.500-3.650 EPS.

Novanta Trading Down 2.5%

Shares of NOVT stock opened at $142.38 on Tuesday. Novanta has a 12-month low of $98.27 and a 12-month high of $153.20. The company has a market capitalization of $5.09 billion, a PE ratio of 96.86 and a beta of 1.62. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $132.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $119.89. The company has a quick ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56.

Novanta (NASDAQ:NOVT) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The technology company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $258.35 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $260.72 million. Novanta had a return on equity of 14.53% and a net margin of 5.50%.Novanta has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.500-3.650 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.750-0.800 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Novanta will post 3.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Novanta from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Novanta from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $133.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Novanta

In other news, CFO Robert Buckley sold 1,423 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.14, for a total transaction of $199,419.22. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 91,034 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,757,504.76. This represents a 1.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Matthijs Glastra sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.04, for a total value of $1,087,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 57,367 shares in the company, valued at $8,320,509.68. The trade was a 11.56% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 22,923 shares of company stock valued at $3,182,264 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.20% of the company’s stock.

More Novanta News

Here are the key news stories impacting Novanta this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 adjusted earnings beat consensus and top‑line growth — Novanta reported adjusted EPS of $0.91 vs. the $0.88 consensus and revenue of $258.3M (up ~8.5% YoY), with gross profit expansion. This confirms underlying demand in core medical and advanced-technology end markets. Novanta Announces Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: FY2026 guidance roughly in line — management set FY2026 EPS at $3.50–3.65, which is close to the Street (~$3.61). The range provides a full-year revenue framework ($1.0B–$1.1B) but doesn’t materially change the long‑term outlook. Assessing Novanta Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 2026 guidance missed Street expectations — Novanta lowered Q1 EPS guidance to $0.75–0.80 vs. the ~$0.85 consensus and set revenue guidance slightly below estimates, signaling a slower start to the year and prompting near-term downward revisions. Novanta Announces Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Weak operating cash flow and margin pressure — reported operating cash flow plunged year‑over‑year (Quiver cites a steep drop to ~$8.8M), and cost of sales rose, which compressed operating profit even as revenue grew. These are near‑term profitability and cash‑generation concerns. Novanta Stock Falls on Q4 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling activity — notable insider sales in recent months (including by senior management) are being flagged by market participants and can increase short-term selling pressure. Insider Trading Details

Institutional Trading of Novanta

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in NOVT. Danske Bank A S bought a new position in Novanta in the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in shares of Novanta by 17.2% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,627 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $163,000 after purchasing an additional 239 shares during the last quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Novanta during the 4th quarter worth $219,000. Boothbay Fund Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Novanta during the 3rd quarter worth $261,000. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Novanta during the 4th quarter worth $261,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.35% of the company’s stock.

About Novanta

Novanta, Inc (NASDAQ: NOVT) is a global technology company that designs and manufactures precision components, subsystems and software used in advanced photonics and motion control applications. The company serves customers in the medical device and advanced industrial markets, supplying critical technologies for diagnostics and therapeutic systems, semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, and scientific instrumentation. Novanta’s product portfolio includes laser control modules, optics, beam delivery systems, high-precision motors, actuators, stages, and fluidics solutions designed to meet stringent accuracy and reliability requirements.

Novanta’s Photonics segment delivers laser and energy delivery components that enable minimally invasive surgical procedures and diagnostic imaging.