Sifting through countless of stocks in the Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Novanta Inc., nLIGHT or Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Novanta Inc., nLIGHT and Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Novanta Inc., nLIGHT and Inc.

Novanta Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides precision medicine, precision manufacturing, medical solutions, robotics and automation solutions, and advanced surgery solutions in the United States and internationally. The company operates Automation Enabling Technologies and Medical Solutions segments. The Precision Medicine and Manufacturing segment designs, manufactures, and markets laser beam steering and scanning solutions, laser sources, robotic and precision motion, robotic end-of-arm tooling, and bearing spindles. This segment serves advanced industrial processes, advanced industrial and medical robotics, other medical and life science automation applications, and medical laser procedures, such as ophthalmology applications. The Medical Solutions segment provides a range of medical grade technologies, including medical insufflators, pumps, and related disposables; imaging, identification and RFID solutions; advanced motion control solutions; and light engines, and integrated operating room technologies. The company was formerly known as GSI Group, Inc. and changed its name to Novanta Inc. in May 2016. Novanta Inc. was incorporated in 1968 and is based in Bedford, Massachusetts.

nLIGHT, Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of semiconductor and fiber lasers for aerospace and defense, industrial, and microfabrication applications. It operates through two segments, Laser Products and Advanced Development. The company offers semiconductor lasers with various ranges of power levels, wavelengths, and output fiber sizes; and programmable and serviceable fiber lasers for use in aerospace and defense and industrial applications. It also provides fiber amplifiers, beam combination, and control systems for use in high-energy laser systems in directed energy applications. The company sells its products through direct sales force in the United States, China, South Korea, and European countries, as well as through independent sales representatives and distributors in Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America. The company was formerly known as nLight Photonics Corporation and changed its name to nLIGHT, Inc. in January 2016. nLIGHT, Inc. was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Camas, Washington.

Latest Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components and Novanta Inc., nLIGHT, Inc. Stock News

As of April 30, 2026, Novanta Inc. had a $4.6 billion market capitalization, compared to the Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components median of $771.3 million. Novanta Inc.’s stock is up 6.8% in 2026, down 5.2% in the previous five trading days and up 10.04% in the past year.

Currently, Novanta Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 88.1. Novanta Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $980.6 million with a 5.5% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 8.5%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $3.563 per share for the current fiscal year. Novanta Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

As of April 30, 2026, nLIGHT, Inc. had a $3.9 billion market cap, putting it in the 64th percentile of all stocks. nLIGHT, Inc.’s stock is up 89.1% in 2026, down 6.4% in the previous five trading days and up 788.68% in the past year.

Currently, nLIGHT, Inc. does not have a price-earnings ratio. nLIGHT, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $261.3 million with a -9.0% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 71.3%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $0.319 per share for the current fiscal year. nLIGHT, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

How We Compare Novanta Inc., nLIGHT and Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Novanta Inc., nLIGHT and Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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Novanta Inc., nLIGHT and Inc. Growth Grades

Company	Ticker	Growth
Novanta Inc.	NOVT	A
nLIGHT, Inc.	LASR	F

The foundation of growth investing is seeking out stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth that is expected to continue into the future.

In order to compute the growth score and assign it a letter grade, the percentile ranks for each of three components‐consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations‐must be determined. These three rank figures are added together, and the sum is ranked against the entire stock universe to arrive at a company’s Growth Score to create an equal distribution of grades.

The companies in the bottom 20% of the stock universe receive Growth Grades of F, considered to be very weak, while those in the top 20% receive A grades, which are considered very strong.

Novanta Inc. has a Growth Score of 89, which is Very Strong. nLIGHT, Inc. has a Growth Score of 12, which is Very Weak.

The Growth Grade Winner: Novanta Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Growth Grade breakdown above, Novanta Inc. has a more attractive growth grade than nLIGHT, Inc.. For investors who focus solely on how a company is growing relative to other companies in the same industry, Novanta Inc. could be a good stock to add to their portfolio. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Novanta Inc., nLIGHT and Inc.’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
Novanta Inc.	NOVT	D
nLIGHT, Inc.	LASR	A

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

Novanta Inc. has a Momentum Score of 39, which is Weak. nLIGHT, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 98, which is Very Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: nLIGHT, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Momentum Grade breakdown above, nLIGHT, Inc. is considered to have stronger momentum compared to Novanta Inc.. For those specifically looking for companies that have stronger momentum compared to other companies in the same industry, nLIGHT, Inc. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Novanta Inc., nLIGHT and Inc.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
Novanta Inc.	NOVT	C
nLIGHT, Inc.	LASR	B

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

Novanta Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 60, which is Neutral. nLIGHT, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 73, which is Positive.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: nLIGHT, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, nLIGHT, Inc. has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than Novanta Inc.. For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, nLIGHT, Inc. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Other Novanta Inc., nLIGHT and Inc. Grades

In addition to Growth, Estimate Revisions and Momentum, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Quality.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the ranking of key metrics. Specifically, the quality grade is the percentile rank of the composite of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and F-Score.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Novanta Inc., nLIGHT and Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Novanta Inc., nLIGHT or Inc. Stock?

Overall, Novanta Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 89, Momentum Score of 39 and Estimate Revisions Score of 60.

nLIGHT, Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 12, Momentum Score of 98 and Estimate Revisions Score of 73.

Comparing Novanta Inc., nLIGHT and Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.