Cantor Fitzgerald Issues Positive Forecast for nLight (NASDAQ:LASR) Stock Price

nLight (NASDAQ:LASR) had its price target raised by research analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald from $40.00 to $62.50 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 8.01% from the company’s previous close.

LASR has been the subject of several other reports. Zacks Research cut shares of nLight from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded nLight to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Roth Mkm increased their price target on nLight from $44.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of nLight from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on nLight from $48.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $46.36.

nLight Stock Performance

nLight stock traded down $5.08 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $57.87. 496,157 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,258,108. nLight has a fifty-two week low of $6.20 and a fifty-two week high of $62.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.94 billion, a PE ratio of -65.65 and a beta of 2.33. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $45.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 4.36 and a current ratio of 5.63.

Insider Buying and Selling at nLight

In other news, CEO Scott H. Keeney sold 31,748 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.51, for a total value of $1,190,867.48. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 2,285,020 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $85,711,100.20. This represents a 1.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Joseph John Corso sold 66,075 shares of nLight stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.32, for a total transaction of $2,399,844.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 196,224 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,126,855.68. The trade was a 25.19% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 127,502 shares of company stock valued at $4,622,166. 4.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LASR. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its position in nLight by 1,599.1% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,835 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 1,727 shares during the period. Sunbelt Securities Inc. grew its position in shares of nLight by 7,142.9% during the fourth quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 1,014 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in nLight by 155.9% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,062 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 647 shares during the last quarter. Financial Consulate Inc. acquired a new stake in nLight during the 4th quarter worth $41,000. Finally, Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in nLight during the 3rd quarter worth $41,000. 83.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

nLight News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting nLight this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and top-line beat — nLight reported roughly $81.2M in Q4 revenue (up ~71% YoY), above consensus estimates, showing continued demand strength. Zacks: Q4 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Raised Q1 revenue outlook — nLight issued Q1 revenue guidance of about $70–$76M versus a consensus near $66.9M, signaling continued revenue momentum. Yahoo: Beats Expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional interest — recent 13F filings show a new position by Bleakley Financial Group, indicating some institutional accumulation. DefenseWorld: Bleakley takes position
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually large options volume — flow suggests heightened short-term trading and hedging interest, which can amplify moves in either direction. American Banking News: Options Volume
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings call and transcripts available for detail — management walked through drivers and margins on the call; read the transcript for guidance nuance. Seeking Alpha: Q4 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed/weak EPS and profitability metrics — investors reacted to mixed earnings figures: while some outlets record adjusted EPS beats, GAAP/pro forma EPS and margins were weak (MarketBeat noted a GAAP EPS miss and negative net margin/ROE), which pressured the stock. MarketBeat: Earnings details and margins
• Negative Sentiment: Market sold off despite beats — several reports highlight that shares tumbled after the print, suggesting traders focused more on profitability/adjustments and near-term margin outlook than on revenue strength. Seeking Alpha: Stock tumbles despite results

nLight Company Profile

nLIGHT, Inc designs, develops, manufactures, and sells semiconductor and fiber lasers for industrial, microfabrication, and aerospace and defense applications. The company operates in two segments, Laser Products and Advanced Development. It offers semiconductor lasers with various ranges of power levels, wavelengths, and output fiber sizes; and programmable and serviceable fiber lasers for use in industrial and aerospace and defense applications. The company also provides laser sensors, including light detection and ranging technologies for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance applications; and fiber amplifiers, beam combination, and control systems for use in high-energy laser systems in directed energy applications.