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Nlight, Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 November 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 8 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 10.5% year over year: Revenue was $73.8 million, up from $66.7 million a year earlier. Products revenue was $48.0 million and Development revenue was $25.7 million. Source
  • Net loss per share narrowed: GAAP net loss was $7.2 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, against $6.9 million, or $0.14, a year earlier. Weighted-average shares were 57.9 million, against 50.3 million. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 55.4%: Adjusted EBITDA was $11.1 million, up from $7.1 million. Non-GAAP net income was $10.2 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, against $4.3 million, or $0.08. Source
  • Supply constraints shifted shipments: Management attributed the expected shift of product shipments out of the fourth quarter to ongoing supply chain constraints, which it also cited for the third quarter. Source
  • Defense and Space revenue grew: Defense & Space revenue was $52.5 million, against $45.6 million in the third quarter of 2025, and was the larger of the two reported end markets. Source
  • Gross margin rose to 33.1%: Gross margin was 33.1%, against 31.1%. Non-GAAP gross margin was 34.7%, against 32.0%, after excluding stock-based compensation from cost of revenue. Source
  • Cash rose to $279.4 million: Cash and cash equivalents were $279.4 million at September 30, 2026, against $98.7 million at December 31, 2025. Marketable securities were $34.8 million. Source

“Solid execution during the third quarter enabled us to deliver revenue above the high end of our guidance range”

Scott Keeney, nLIGHT’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue Sourcefourth quarter of 2026$84 million to $90 millionNew
Products revenue Sourcefourth quarter of 2026approximately $63 millionNew
Advanced Development revenue Sourcefourth quarter of 2026approximately $24 millionNew
Product revenue excluded from guidance Sourcefourth quarter of 2026, expected delivery in first half of 2027approximately $15 millionNew
Overall gross margin Sourcefourth quarter of 202630% to 36%New
Products gross margin Sourcefourth quarter of 202640% to 46%New
Advanced Development gross margin Sourcefourth quarter of 2026approximately 8%New
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefourth quarter of 2026$12 million to $18 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Fourth-quarter 2026 revenue guidance was given. The prior release had given third-quarter revenue guidance only. Source
  • New guidance: Fourth-quarter gross margin and Adjusted EBITDA ranges were given in place of the third-quarter ranges in the prior release. Source
  • New: The end-market table now shows Defense & Space and Advanced Manufacturing. The prior release used Aerospace and Defense, Industrial and Microfabrication. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 10.5% year over year: Revenue was $73.8 million, up from $66.7 million a year earlier. Products revenue was $48.0 million and Development revenue was $25.7 million. Source
  • Net loss per share narrowed: GAAP net loss was $7.2 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, against $6.9 million, or $0.14, a year earlier. Weighted-average shares were 57.9 million, against 50.3 million. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 55.4%: Adjusted EBITDA was $11.1 million, up from $7.1 million. Non-GAAP net income was $10.2 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, against $4.3 million, or $0.08. Source

Products, Development and supply

  • Products revenue held near prior year: Products revenue was $48.0 million, against $47.6 million. Products gross margin was 47.4%, against 41.0%, and non-GAAP Products gross margin was 48.8%, against 42.3%. Source
  • Development revenue increased: Development revenue was $25.7 million, against $19.1 million, with gross margin of 6.5%, against 6.4%. The company labels this segment Advanced Development in its guidance. Source
  • Products gross profit increased: Products gross profit was $22.8 million, against $19.5 million. Development gross profit was $1.7 million, against $1.2 million. Source
  • Supply constraints shifted shipments: Management attributed the expected shift of product shipments out of the fourth quarter to ongoing supply chain constraints, which it also cited for the third quarter. Source

“we believe nLIGHT is well positioned as our defense programs increasingly transition from development toward fielding and production”

Scott Keeney, nLIGHT’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

End markets: Defense and Advanced Manufacturing

  • Defense and Space revenue grew: Defense & Space revenue was $52.5 million, against $45.6 million in the third quarter of 2025, and was the larger of the two reported end markets. Source
  • Advanced Manufacturing essentially unchanged: Advanced Manufacturing revenue was $21.3 million, against $21.2 million. Nine-month Advanced Manufacturing revenue was $71.7 million, against $61.2 million. Source
  • Nine-month Defense revenue higher: Nine-month Defense & Space revenue was $164.9 million, against $119.0 million, for the nine months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025. Source

Operating costs and restructuring

  • Restructuring charges rose sharply: Restructuring charges were $7.5 million, against $1.7 million a year earlier. Total operating expenses were $33.7 million, against $28.1 million. Source
  • Sales and admin costs declined: Sales, general and administrative expense was $13.7 million, against $14.8 million, while research and development expense was $12.5 million, against $11.5 million. Source
  • Operating loss increased: Loss from operations was $9.2 million, against $7.3 million. Operating margin was (12.5)%, against (10.9)%. Source
  • Stock-based compensation climbed: Stock-based compensation was $9.9 million, against $9.4 million. For the nine months it was $31.8 million, against $21.8 million. Source

Margins and gross profit

  • Gross margin rose to 33.1%: Gross margin was 33.1%, against 31.1%. Non-GAAP gross margin was 34.7%, against 32.0%, after excluding stock-based compensation from cost of revenue. Source
  • Nine-month gross margin higher: Nine-month gross margin was 32.4%, against 29.4%. Nine-month Products gross margin was 43.8%, against 38.0%. Source
  • Stock compensation in cost of revenue: Stock-based compensation in cost of revenues was $1.2 million, against $0.6 million, and is excluded from non-GAAP gross margin. Source

Capital, cash and balance sheet

  • Cash rose to $279.4 million: Cash and cash equivalents were $279.4 million at September 30, 2026, against $98.7 million at December 31, 2025. Marketable securities were $34.8 million. Source
  • Public offering proceeds in nine months: The nine-month financing section shows $192.2 million of public offering proceeds, net of underwriting discounts, and $0.9 million of offering costs. Source
  • Operating cash flow and capital spending: Operating cash flow was $17.3 million for the nine months, against $3.8 million. Purchases of property, plant and equipment were $11.4 million, against $7.4 million. Source
  • Line of credit repaid: The $20.0 million line of credit outstanding at December 31, 2025 was repaid, and no line of credit balance is shown at September 30, 2026. Source

Strategy, investment and headcount

  • Investing in capacity and supply chain: Management said it is investing in manufacturing capacity and supply chain to support expected growth. The release gives no dollar amount for these investments. Source
  • Pipeline expanding in three areas: Management said its pipeline of opportunities continues to expand across directed energy, laser sensing and advanced manufacturing. Source
  • Defense programs moving toward fielding: Management said defense programs are increasingly moving from development toward fielding and production. Source
  • Headcount above 900: The company reported more than 900 employees, against more than 800 in the second-quarter release. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 November 2026

  • Excluded product revenue due in 2027: Management said the product revenue excluded from fourth-quarter guidance is expected to be delivered in the first half of 2027. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Gross margin, total (third quarter 2026) Source33.1%
Gross margin, Products (third quarter 2026) Source47.4%
Gross margin, Development (third quarter 2026) Source6.5%
End-market revenue, Defense & Space (third quarter 2026) Source$52,460 thousand
End-market revenue, Advanced Manufacturing (third quarter 2026) Source$21,303 thousand

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Ongoing supply chain constraints shifted expected fourth-quarter product shipments into the first half of 2027, and were also cited for third-quarter shipments. Source
  • Financial: Management said foreign exchange gains and losses cannot be predicted, so the Adjusted EBITDA guidance is not reconciled to GAAP. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said third-quarter revenue exceeded the high end of the range it had given. Source
  • Not stated: The prior release said product revenue expected to ship in the third quarter was now expected to be delivered in future quarters.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.