Nova (NASDAQ:NVMI) Price Target Raised to $540.00 at Morgan Stanley

Nova (NASDAQ:NVMI) had its target price upped by Morgan Stanley from $494.00 to $540.00 in a research report report published on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the semiconductor company’s stock.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Nova from $465.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Nova from $520.00 to $640.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Nova from $520.00 to $595.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Zacks Research cut Nova from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on Nova from $500.00 to $640.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $551.25.

Nova Stock Performance

NVMI stock traded down $23.49 on Monday, reaching $443.14. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 71,453 shares, compared to its average volume of 415,095. The firm has a market cap of $14.08 billion, a PE ratio of 55.24, a PEG ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 1.74. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $518.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $464.75. Nova has a 12-month low of $232.73 and a 12-month high of $615.99.

Nova (NASDAQ:NVMI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The semiconductor company reported $2.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.20 by $0.13. Nova had a net margin of 29.21% and a return on equity of 21.77%. The business had revenue of $235.31 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $227.02 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.18 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Nova has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.340-2.480 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Nova will post 9.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Nova news, Director Yaniv Garty sold 426 shares of Nova stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $514.49, for a total value of $219,172.74. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 2,038 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,048,530.62. This trade represents a 17.29% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Gabriel Waisman sold 2,966 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $501.30, for a total value of $1,486,855.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 28,714 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,394,328.20. This represents a 9.36% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 7,798 shares of company stock valued at $4,125,266 in the last quarter. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nova

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NVMI. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Nova during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in Nova in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its stake in Nova by 75.7% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 130 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in Nova by 2,042.9% during the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 150 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 143 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Nova by 51.6% during the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 376 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $69,000 after buying an additional 128 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 82.99% of the company’s stock.

About Nova

Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd (NASDAQ: NVMI) develops and supplies advanced metrology and process control systems for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. The company’s core product line includes spectroscopic ellipsometry and scatterometry tools designed to measure film thickness, critical dimensions, overlay alignment and other key parameters that drive yield and performance in integrated circuit fabrication.

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Rehovot, Israel, Nova Measuring Instruments has established itself as a critical partner to leading semiconductor foundries and device manufacturers.