Laser weapon makers nLIGHT and Electro Optic Systems look increasingly mispriced every day the war continues, because they are the West's answer to asymmetric warfare with no legit competitors at low-billion market caps. Per @KawzInvests, the US spends $2 million per Patriot interceptor against $2,000 Iranian drones while a laser shot costs $10; nLIGHT is the only US-listed pure-play directed-energy stock, with a $171M Golden Dome contract, and EOS has the only ITAR-free 100kW laser weapon. … Show more

Electro Optic Systems trades at about 2x backlog versus about 28x for nLight, despite growing faster at higher margins. Q1 cash receipts rose 220% to A$72.6M versus nLight's 55% revenue growth, gross margin is 63% versus 33%, and its A$726M backlog, 60-80% expected to convert in 2026-27, is 4.5x larger. After buying MARSS it owns the full counter-drone kill chain, its ITAR-free lasers are winning exports, and management guides to first profit in 2026. The chart is near a breakout above $9.60. … Show more

nLIGHT's price now assumes high-energy lasers will replace much of kinetic weapons and nLIGHT will be the main beneficiary; if either is wrong, downside is real. Being the laser leader is a reasonable bet, but an enormous laser TAM is less certain after talks with friends in defense. Drones and missiles can be countered many ways, and the US will likely use layered defense. At the right price it is attractive, and the upside may be underestimated. x.com 

nLIGHT's aerospace and defense business is booming, which made this a great report. The caveat is longer term: revenue growth will slow as it divests one of its two slow-growth or shrinking business lines, and algorithms may punish the shares after the Q3 or Q4 report, a problem for October 2026 or early 2027. x.com 

LightPath Technologies' 20% drop on the Army's delay of its Stinger replacement program is a huge overreaction. Reopening NGSRI to new bidders with a Spring 2027 demo pushes out a contract worth $50-100M a year if Lockheed wins, but it is none of current revenue or the $110M backlog. CEO Sam Rubin says Pentagon funding is coming in some form, and after its $820M loan to Performance Drone Works, the Pentagon said similar deals would follow. 75%+ of American drones carry LightPath optics. x.com 

nLIGHT stands to gain as laser weapons shift the cost per kill, and it has real programs rather than just hype. @michaelsikand argues that every day the war continues, laser weapon stocks like nLIGHT and Electro Optic Systems look more mispriced, as the West's answer to asymmetric warfare with no legitimate competitors at low-billion market caps. Value may ultimately sit with whoever owns the kill chain, not just the beam. x.com 

Ondas, AeroVironment, LightPath, Kraken Robotics and Kratos are the best defense rotation candidates right now, since the sector will eventually pick up steam again and positioning before the move is key. x.com 

Trump's 100% tariffs on foreign-made drones should send demand soaring for US drone makers and suppliers. AeroVironment has a $1.2B funded backlog; Kratos has a $2.1B backlog and jet drones with no foreign substitute; Ondas, the fastest grower, posted a record $83.8M quarter. Red Cat's Black Widow is an Army program of record, Unusual Machines makes 15,000 NDAA-compliant motors a month, AIRO has a $163M drone backlog and LightPath's US-made infrared optics become the default. x.com  x.com  x.com  … Show more

Counter-drone defense is in its early stages, with much more deployment to come to protect critical infrastructure, and LightPath Technologies, MS International and Guerrilla RF are good ways to play it. Mikhail Khodorkovsky notes Ukrainian drones are hitting practically every major refinery in European Russia, with even the Moscow refinery not covered by air defense. x.com 

nLIGHT's opportunities are huge, but supply-chain problems could last longer than the market prices in, so it is only worth adding on a significant drop. Weapons restocking should help its laser sensing business, and a new JLWS award brings $44M in 2026 with a $627M ceiling. But Q3 guidance is much weaker because China is holding optical components in customs, which the CEO called political football. At a rich multiple, it could languish in the $40s until the next big win. x.com  x.com  x.com  … Show more