LASR vs. KTOS
LASR (nLIGHT, Inc.) and KTOS (Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.) are both stocks. LASR operates in Semiconductors (Technology), while KTOS operates in Aerospace & Defense (Industrials). Over the past 5 years, LASR returned 16.34%/yr vs 12.07%/yr for KTOS. At a 0.37 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
LASR vs. KTOS - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, LASR achieves a 83.39% return, which is significantly higher than KTOS's -38.14% return.
LASR
- 1D
- -4.52%
- 1M
- -1.25%
- 6M
- 65.48%
- YTD
- 83.39%
- 1Y
- 276.31%
- 3Y*
- 66.92%
- 5Y*
- 16.34%
- 10Y*
- —
KTOS
- 1D
- -2.55%
- 1M
- -18.68%
- 6M
- -60.16%
- YTD
- -38.14%
- 1Y
- -9.19%
- 3Y*
- 52.73%
- 5Y*
- 12.07%
- 10Y*
- 26.02%
LASR vs. KTOS - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LASR nLIGHT, Inc. | 83.39% | 257.58% | -22.30% | 33.14% | -57.66% | -26.65% | 61.00% | 14.06% | -22.70% |
KTOS Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. | -38.14% | 187.76% | 30.01% | 96.61% | -46.80% | -29.27% | 52.30% | 27.82% | 29.38% |
Correlation
The correlation between LASR and KTOS is 0.38, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.38 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.37 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.42 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 26, 2018 | 0.37 |
Fundamentals
LASR:
$3.88B
KTOS:
$8.81B
LASR:
-$0.28
KTOS:
$0.17
LASR:
12.70
KTOS:
5.81
LASR:
9.61
KTOS:
2.47
LASR:
$289.84M
KTOS:
$1.42B
LASR:
$90.68M
KTOS:
$259.40M
LASR:
-$3.27M
KTOS:
$78.30M
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Return for Risk
LASR vs. KTOS — Risk / Return Rank
LASR
KTOS
LASR vs. KTOS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for nLIGHT, Inc. (LASR) and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (KTOS). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| LASR | KTOS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +3.44 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +3.10 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.42 | 1.04 | +0.39 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 9.00 | -0.14 | +9.14 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 27.71 | -0.27 | +27.98 |
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Drawdowns
LASR vs. KTOS - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum LASR drawdown since its inception was -85.66%, smaller than the maximum KTOS drawdown of -99.81%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LASR and KTOS.
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Drawdown Indicators
| LASR | KTOS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -85.66% | -99.81% | +14.15% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -30.92% | -64.57% | +33.65% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -57.29% | -64.57% | +7.28% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -81.47% | -66.97% | -14.50% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -72.74% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -19.02% | -97.03% | +78.01% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -52.38% | -95.93% | +43.55% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 10.02% | 34.26% | -24.24% |
Volatility
LASR vs. KTOS - Volatility Comparison
nLIGHT, Inc. (LASR) has a higher volatility of 33.08% compared to Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (KTOS) at 17.76%. This indicates that LASR's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than KTOS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| LASR | KTOS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 33.08% | 17.76% | +15.32% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 67.18% | 54.32% | +12.86% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 84.26% | 71.09% | +13.17% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 66.77% | 52.65% | +14.12% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 67.33% | 50.91% | +16.42% |
Dividends
LASR vs. KTOS - Dividend Comparison
Neither LASR nor KTOS has paid dividends to shareholders.
Financials
LASR vs. KTOS - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between nLIGHT, Inc. and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
LASR vs. KTOS - Profitability Comparison
LASR - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, nLIGHT, Inc. reported a gross profit of 26.51M and revenue of 80.18M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 33.1%.
KTOS - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. reported a gross profit of 34.70M and revenue of 371.00M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 9.4%.
LASR - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, nLIGHT, Inc. reported an operating income of -719.00K and revenue of 80.18M, resulting in an operating margin of -0.9%.
KTOS - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. reported an operating income of 4.70M and revenue of 371.00M, resulting in an operating margin of 1.3%.
LASR - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, nLIGHT, Inc. reported a net income of 645.00K and revenue of 80.18M, resulting in a net margin of 0.8%.
KTOS - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. reported a net income of 11.90M and revenue of 371.00M, resulting in a net margin of 3.2%.
Frequently Asked Questions
LASR and KTOS have a correlation of 0.38, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
LASR has higher volatility (33.08%) compared to KTOS (17.76%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LASR dropped -85.66% vs KTOS's -99.81%.
LASR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.31 vs -0.13), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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