Novanta (NASDAQ:NOVT) Issues Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

Novanta (NASDAQ:NOVT) updated its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Monday. The company provided EPS guidance of 0.750-0.800 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 0.850. The company issued revenue guidance of $250.0 million-$255.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $253.3 million. Novanta also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 3.500-3.650 EPS.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on NOVT shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Novanta from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Zacks Research raised shares of Novanta from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $133.00.

Novanta Price Performance

Shares of Novanta stock traded down $3.58 during trading on Monday, hitting $142.38. 625,403 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 450,514. The company has a market cap of $5.09 billion, a PE ratio of 96.86 and a beta of 1.62. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $131.69 and its 200 day moving average price is $119.68. Novanta has a twelve month low of $98.27 and a twelve month high of $153.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.54.

Novanta (NASDAQ:NOVT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The technology company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $258.35 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $260.72 million. Novanta had a net margin of 5.50% and a return on equity of 14.53%. Novanta has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.500-3.650 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.750-0.800 EPS. Analysts forecast that Novanta will post 3.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Novanta

In other Novanta news, CEO Matthijs Glastra sold 7,500 shares of Novanta stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.04, for a total transaction of $1,087,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 57,367 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,320,509.68. This trade represents a 11.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Robert Buckley sold 1,423 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.14, for a total transaction of $199,419.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 91,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,757,504.76. This trade represents a 1.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 22,923 shares of company stock worth $3,182,264. 1.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Novanta

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NOVT. Schroder Investment Management Group raised its position in Novanta by 206.1% in the 4th quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 600,146 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $72,540,000 after purchasing an additional 404,097 shares during the last quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC increased its stake in shares of Novanta by 217,908.2% in the fourth quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 346,633 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $41,246,000 after buying an additional 346,474 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Novanta by 247.2% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 357,946 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $42,592,000 after buying an additional 254,860 shares during the last quarter. American Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Novanta during the 3rd quarter worth about $21,919,000. Finally, Bamco Inc. NY lifted its position in Novanta by 202.3% during the 2nd quarter. Bamco Inc. NY now owns 311,115 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $40,112,000 after buying an additional 208,188 shares in the last quarter. 98.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Novanta Company Profile

Novanta, Inc (NASDAQ: NOVT) is a global technology company that designs and manufactures precision components, subsystems and software used in advanced photonics and motion control applications. The company serves customers in the medical device and advanced industrial markets, supplying critical technologies for diagnostics and therapeutic systems, semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, and scientific instrumentation. Novanta’s product portfolio includes laser control modules, optics, beam delivery systems, high-precision motors, actuators, stages, and fluidics solutions designed to meet stringent accuracy and reliability requirements.

Novanta’s Photonics segment delivers laser and energy delivery components that enable minimally invasive surgical procedures and diagnostic imaging.