Nova (NASDAQ:NVMI) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to "Hold" Rating

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Nova from “sell” to “hold”, adding to generally positive analyst sentiment around the stock.
• Several other firms remain bullish: Barclays, Evercore, and Citigroup all raised or reaffirmed positive ratings and price targets, while Nova’s overall analyst consensus is “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $518.22.
• Nova reported a strong fiscal Q1 2026, with EPS of $2.33 and revenue of $235.3 million both beating expectations, and it also issued higher Q2 guidance above consensus.

Nova (NASDAQ:NVMI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

NVMI has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Nova from $465.00 to $600.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. Morgan Stanley set a $494.00 price objective on shares of Nova in a research note on Thursday. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $600.00 price objective on shares of Nova in a research note on Friday. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Nova from $520.00 to $595.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Nova from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Thursday. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Nova presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $518.22.

Nova Price Performance

Shares of Nova stock opened at $509.15 on Friday. Nova has a 52-week low of $179.00 and a 52-week high of $565.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 63.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.07 and a beta of 1.78. The company has a fifty day moving average of $481.34 and a 200-day moving average of $412.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 5.47 and a current ratio of 6.28.

Nova (NASDAQ:NVMI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The semiconductor company reported $2.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.20 by $0.13. Nova had a net margin of 29.21% and a return on equity of 22.65%. The company had revenue of $235.31 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $227.02 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.18 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. Nova has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.340-2.480 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Nova will post 9.37 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nova

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Nova during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in Nova during the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its position in Nova by 75.7% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 130 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its position in Nova by 2,042.9% during the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 150 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 143 shares during the period. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Nova by 51.6% in the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 376 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.99% of the company's stock.

Nova News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Nova this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Nova posted record Q1 2026 revenue of $235.3 million, beating its own guidance and analyst expectations, while EPS of $2.33 also came in ahead of estimates. Nova Reports Record First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised second-quarter 2026 guidance, with EPS and revenue outlooks both above consensus, signaling continued demand and momentum in its semiconductor metrology business. Nova earnings conference call and press release
• Positive Sentiment: Needham & Company lifted its price target on Nova to $640 from $500 and reiterated a buy rating, reinforcing bullish sentiment after the earnings beat. Needham price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Shares also reached a new 52-week high after the earnings report, suggesting the market sees the results as a meaningful positive catalyst. Nova Sets New 52-Week High After Earnings Beat
• Neutral Sentiment: Nova announced its June 18 annual shareholder meeting, where investors will vote on board members, CEO pay, and auditor reappointment; this is routine corporate governance news. Annual meeting announcement

Nova Company Profile

Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd NASDAQ: NVMI develops and supplies advanced metrology and process control systems for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. The company's core product line includes spectroscopic ellipsometry and scatterometry tools designed to measure film thickness, critical dimensions, overlay alignment and other key parameters that drive yield and performance in integrated circuit fabrication.

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Rehovot, Israel, Nova Measuring Instruments has established itself as a critical partner to leading semiconductor foundries and device manufacturers.

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