Insider Selling: Novanta (NASDAQ:NOVT) CFO Sells 9,957 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• CFO Robert Buckley sold 9,957 shares on March 16 at an average price of $116.77 for proceeds of $1,162,678.89, reducing his holding by 9.34% to 96,616 shares (≈$11.28M).
• Novanta reported Q4 EPS of $0.91 (beating estimates) but revenue slightly missed, and issued FY2026 guidance of 3.500–3.650 EPS with Q1 guidance of 0.750–0.800; analysts have an average "Hold" rating and a $150 consensus price target.
• The stock trades near $119.33 with a market cap of $4.26B and a P/E around 81.7, a 52‑week range of $98.27–$149.95, and recent volume above average.

Novanta Inc. (NASDAQ:NOVT - Get Free Report) CFO Robert Buckley sold 9,957 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.77, for a total value of $1,162,678.89. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 96,616 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,281,850.32. This trade represents a 9.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Robert Buckley also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Friday, February 20th, Robert Buckley sold 1,423 shares of Novanta stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.88, for a total value of $200,472.24.
• On Wednesday, January 21st, Robert Buckley sold 1,423 shares of Novanta stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.14, for a total value of $199,419.22.

Novanta Price Performance

Novanta stock traded down $1.69 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $119.33. The company's stock had a trading volume of 569,434 shares, compared to its average volume of 457,808. The company has a current ratio of 3.69, a quick ratio of 2.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The stock has a market cap of $4.26 billion, a PE ratio of 81.73 and a beta of 1.61. Novanta Inc. has a 52 week low of $98.27 and a 52 week high of $149.95. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $135.34 and a 200-day moving average price of $121.22.

Novanta (NASDAQ:NOVT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The technology company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $258.35 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $260.72 million. Novanta had a net margin of 5.49% and a return on equity of 13.12%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.76 earnings per share. Novanta has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.500-3.650 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.750-0.800 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Novanta Inc. will post 3.03 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on NOVT shares. Robert W. Baird set a $150.00 price target on shares of Novanta in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Zacks Research raised Novanta from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Novanta from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Novanta presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $150.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Novanta

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NOVT. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Novanta by 78.9% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 4,231 shares of the technology company's stock worth $537,000 after purchasing an additional 1,866 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in Novanta by 1.6% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 419,037 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $53,582,000 after purchasing an additional 6,533 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in Novanta by 1,762.5% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 61,631 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $7,881,000 after purchasing an additional 58,322 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in Novanta by 27.8% during the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,747 shares of the technology company's stock worth $483,000 after purchasing an additional 815 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Novanta by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 919,666 shares of the technology company's stock worth $118,585,000 after purchasing an additional 12,789 shares during the last quarter. 98.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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