New York, March 3, 2026, 09:12 EST — Premarket
- nLIGHT tacked on another 6% before the bell, following yesterday’s 20% surge.
- The company plans to roll out its 70kW-class laser weapon system at the POST conference next week.
- Optics stocks have been active since Nvidia announced photonics agreements worth billions.
nLIGHT Inc shares popped roughly 6% premarket Tuesday, adding to a rally that saw the laser maker surge over 20% just a day earlier. The latest bid put the stock at $72.00, compared with Monday’s close at $67.69. 1
Right now, traders are jumping on anything with a high-powered laser angle, defense especially. nLIGHT mentioned new “high-energy” systems on Monday, just before a military tech conference, and the shares moved quickly. 2
Optics and photonics hardware suddenly feel packed, with Nvidia’s big bets on AI data-center networking suppliers spurring the rush. Smaller laser players such as nLIGHT are now being mentioned alongside the usual suspects, even though they haven’t landed any of these deals. 3
nLIGHT is gearing up to display its new 70kW-class Laser Weapon System—output power clocks in at 70 kilowatts—during the Pacific Operational Science & Technology (POST) Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, from March 9-12. The company also says it will highlight its 30kW and 10kW high-energy lasers at the event. 2
The company pitches its laser weapons for counter-drone and other air-defense uses. nLIGHT, based in Camas, Washington, sells high-power lasers for directed-energy applications—think weapons that deploy focused beams like lasers—along with optical sensing gear and manufacturing tools. 2
nLIGHT jumped near the upper end of its recent band after Monday’s rally. According to Investing.com, the stock’s 52-week range has stretched from $6.20 to $68.20. 4
The optics story is making noise, too. Nvidia on Monday pledged a $2 billion investment in Lumentum, pairing that with a nonexclusive, multiyear deal. The agreement calls for “multibillion” purchase commitments and secures future capacity rights on advanced laser components. 5
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, commenting in the Lumentum announcement, called AI a force that’s “reinvented computing and is driving the largest computing infrastructure buildout in history.” 5
Nvidia is putting $2 billion into Coherent, aiming to deepen their ties through a nonexclusive strategic partnership focused on advanced optics and optical networking products. 6
Coherent surged around 15% early Tuesday, Lumentum tacked on 12%, and Nvidia added close to 3%, market data showed.
Still, nLIGHT shares have surged, so there’s not much margin for error now. Just showing off at a conference doesn’t lock in fresh orders. Defense contracts, notorious for their slow pace and unpredictable funding cycles, can leave suppliers waiting on uncertain timelines.
All eyes turn to Honolulu as the POST conference runs March 9-12, where investors will be scanning for new program updates, customer remarks, or hints of deals to support the stock’s surge out of the gate and through the week. 7
