New York, Jan 13, 2026, 13:16 (EST) — Regular session
- Shares of nLIGHT climbed following a preliminary fourth-quarter revenue forecast that beat its earlier guidance.
- Needham boosted its price target on the stock to $48 but maintained its buy rating.
- Investors are tuning into management’s investor meetings at the Needham Growth Conference in New York.
nLIGHT Inc shares jumped Tuesday following an upbeat preliminary Q4 revenue forecast that topped the company’s own projections, bringing forward a crucial data point for a stock often priced for defensive growth. The shares gained 4.9% to $43.61, after fluctuating between $40.95 and $46.59.
The early update is significant, coming amid investor conferences and as markets seek clues on whether aerospace and defense demand will extend into 2026. For nLIGHT, it serves as a quick gauge of whether its directed-energy efforts are evolving into consistent revenue, beyond just one-off development projects.
The company now forecasts fourth-quarter 2025 revenue between $78 million and $80 million, topping its previous range of $72 million to $78 million. It projects Laser Products revenue at $54 million to $55 million, with Advanced Development around $24 million to $25 million, driven by ongoing strength in aerospace and defense.
Chief executive Scott Keeney said the company “ended 2025 on a strong note” and highlighted “good visibility” across several directed energy and laser sensing programs — industry jargon for high-power laser systems deployed in defense tasks like tracking and engagement.
Needham’s James Ricchiuti bumped his price target on nLIGHT to $48 from $39, maintaining a buy rating, StreetInsider reports.
The broader market wavered for direction following a U.S. inflation report and mixed early earnings, leaving the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hovering near unchanged, according to a Reuters report.
Shares of other laser and photonics firms climbed as well. Coherent rose 4.5%, Lumentum added 5.6%, and IPG Photonics ticked up roughly 1.5%.
nLIGHT produces semiconductor and fiber lasers serving aerospace, defense, industrial, and microfabrication sectors. Its Laser Products division handles components and subsystems sales, while Advanced Development is dedicated to researching and prototyping next-gen defense laser tech, including beam-combining techniques for high-energy laser systems.
One caution: these numbers are preliminary, and defense spending often swings from quarter to quarter — program schedules shift, budgets get reshuffled, and development rarely lines up cleanly with production. A robust revenue figure now only ups the pressure on the full report and the 2026 forecast.
Management plans to meet investors during the 28th Annual Needham Growth Conference, running Jan. 8–16, with in-person sessions set for New York on Jan. 13–14.
Investors are eager for more details from the New York meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, particularly regarding directed-energy and laser-sensing programs, ahead of the company’s full fourth-quarter results and outlook.
