Insider Selling: nLight (NASDAQ:LASR) Director Sells $564,319.20 in Stock

nLight (NASDAQ:LASR) Director Raymond Link sold 8,760 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.42, for a total value of $564,319.20. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 83,816 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,399,426.72. The trade was a 9.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

nLight Stock Performance

NASDAQ LASR opened at $62.60 on Monday. 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 $39.15. 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) 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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on LASR shares. Zacks Research downgraded shares of nLight from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Robert W. Baird started coverage on nLight in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $95.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on nLight in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $60.00 price target on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on nLight from $40.00 to $62.50 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut nLight from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $58.31.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On nLight

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

About nLight

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.