769,788 Shares in nLight $LASR Purchased by Portolan Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Portolan Capital opened a new stake in nLight of 769,788 shares (≈$22.81M), joining a market with very high institutional ownership (~83.9%).
• nLight posted a strong quarter with revenue up 71.3% YoY and an EPS beat ($0.14 vs. $0.11), but remains unprofitable with a negative net margin (−8.98%) and negative ROE.
• Significant insider selling has occurred recently (228,603 shares worth ~$11.6M over three months), even as analysts on average rate the stock a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of about $58.31.

Portolan Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in nLight (NASDAQ:LASR - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 769,788 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,809,000. nLight accounts for 1.2% of Portolan Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Portolan Capital Management LLC owned 1.52% of nLight at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Marshall Wace LLP raised its position in shares of nLight by 537.8% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 631,486 shares of the company's stock worth $18,711,000 after acquiring an additional 532,470 shares in the last quarter. Entropy Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of nLight during the third quarter valued at approximately $228,000. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in nLight in the third quarter worth $223,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its stake in nLight by 119.4% in the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 755,754 shares of the company's stock worth $22,393,000 after purchasing an additional 411,360 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in nLight by 377.2% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,057,281 shares of the company's stock worth $31,327,000 after purchasing an additional 835,720 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.88% of the company's stock.

nLight Stock Performance

NASDAQ LASR opened at $62.60 on Friday. nLight has a one year low of $6.20 and a one year high of $69.52. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $51.32 and a 200 day moving average of $39.01. The company has a market capitalization of $3.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -133.19 and a beta of 2.27.

nLight (NASDAQ:LASR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $81.19 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $76.71 million. nLight had a negative net margin of 8.98% and a negative return on equity of 9.28%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 71.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned ($0.30) EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that nLight will post -1.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other nLight news, Director Raymond A. Link sold 10,000 shares of nLight stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.79, for a total value of $627,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 92,576 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,812,847.04. The trade was a 9.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Scott H. Keeney sold 32,239 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.96, for a total value of $1,997,528.44. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 2,252,781 shares in the company, valued at $139,582,310.76. The trade was a 1.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 228,603 shares of company stock valued at $11,623,441 over the last three months. Insiders own 4.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on LASR. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on nLight in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. They set a "buy" rating and a $60.00 price objective for the company. Needham & Company LLC increased their price target on shares of nLight from $48.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on shares of nLight from $40.00 to $62.50 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Canaccord Genuity Group raised shares of nLight to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of nLight in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $58.31.

More nLight News

Here are the key news stories impacting nLight this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst coverage is bullish — Robert W. Baird started coverage with an Outperform and $95 price target, Raymond James reiterated a strong‑buy with a $75 target, and Cantor Fitzgerald raised its target to $62.50. These upgrades support upside expectations from research desks. nLIGHT, Inc. (LASR)’s Strong Tech Stack Catches Analyst Attention
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results showed an EPS beat and strong revenue growth (revenue up ~71% Y/Y, EPS above estimates), which underpins the company's operational momentum and supports the bullish analyst outlook. MarketBeat LASR coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Media attention and inclusion on 'best day trading' lists can increase short‑term volume and volatility but are not fundamental drivers of long‑term value. 11 best day trading stocks to buy now
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional ownership is high (~84%), which can dampen share supply but also concentrate price moves when institutions rebalance. MarketBeat institutional holdings
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling this week: CEO Scott Keeney sold 19,096 shares (~$1.12M), Director Raymond Link sold multiple blocks (10,000; 8,760; 6,644 shares) and CAO James Nias sold 1,808 shares — these disclosed Form 4s likely pressured the stock by prompting profit‑taking or investor concern about insider timing. CEO Form 4 (SEC)
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary specifically points to insider sales as a reason for the intraday weakness in LASR, reinforcing the negative impact of those transactions on sentiment. Why nLIGHT (LASR) Stock Is Down Today

nLight 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.

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