Will nLight (LASR) Gain on Rising Earnings Estimates?

nLight (LASR) appears an attractive pick given a noticeable improvement in the company's earnings outlook. The stock has been a strong performer lately, and the momentum might continue with analysts still raising their earnings estimates for the company.

The upward trend in estimate revisions for this laser maker reflects growing optimism of analysts on its earnings prospects, which should get reflected in its stock price. After all, empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements. Our stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- is principally built on this insight.

The five-grade Zacks Rank system, which ranges from a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record of outperformance, with Zacks #1 Ranked stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 2008.

For nLight, strong agreement among the covering analysts in revising earnings estimates upward has resulted in meaningful improvement in consensus estimates for the next quarter and full year.

The chart below shows the evolution of forward 12-month Zacks Consensus EPS estimate:

12 Month EPS

Current-Quarter Estimate Revisions

The company is expected to earn $0.02 per share for the current quarter, which represents a year-over-year change of +125.0%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for nLight has increased 47.62% over the last 30 days, as two estimates have gone higher compared to no negative revisions.

Current-Year Estimate Revisions

For the full year, the company is expected to earn $0.04 per share, representing a year-over-year change of +106.2%.

The revisions trend for the current year also appears quite promising for nLight, with three estimates moving higher over the past month compared to no negative revisions. The consensus estimate has also received a boost over this time frame, increasing 43.21%.

Favorable Zacks Rank

Thanks to promising estimate revisions, nLight currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The Zacks Rank is a tried-and-tested rating tool that helps investors effectively harness the power of earnings estimate revisions and make the right investment decision.

You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Our research shows that stocks with Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and 2 (Buy) significantly outperform the S&P 500.

Bottom Line

nLight shares have added 40.2% over the past four weeks, suggesting that investors are betting on its impressive estimate revisions. So, you may consider adding it to your portfolio right away to benefit from its earnings growth prospects.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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