LASR vs. KTOS

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about nLIGHT, Inc. (LASR) and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (KTOS).

Performance

LASR vs. KTOS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in nLIGHT, Inc. (LASR) and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (KTOS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

LASR vs. KTOS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
LASR nLIGHT, Inc.	55.43%	257.58%	-22.30%	33.14%	-57.66%	-26.65%	61.00%	14.06%	-34.03%
KTOS Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.	-10.82%	187.76%	30.01%	96.61%	-46.80%	-29.27%	52.30%	27.82%	28.21%

Fundamentals

Market Cap LASR : $2.97B KTOS : $11.73B
EPS LASR : -$0.47 KTOS : $0.13
PS Ratio LASR : 11.17 KTOS : 8.44
PB Ratio LASR : 13.09 KTOS : 5.87
Total Revenue (TTM) LASR : $261.33M KTOS : $1.35B
Gross Profit (TTM) LASR : $77.96M KTOS : $256.10M
EBITDA (TTM) LASR : -$28.35M KTOS : $70.20M

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, LASR achieves a 55.43% return, which is significantly higher than KTOS's -10.82% return.

LASR

• 1D: 2.24%
• 1M: -13.87%
• YTD: 55.43%
• 6M: 91.84%
• 1Y: 644.57%
• 3Y*: 78.91%
• 5Y*: 11.92%
• 10Y*: —

KTOS

• 1D: -3.99%
• 1M: -25.37%
• YTD: -10.82%
• 6M: -27.17%
• 1Y: 131.06%
• 3Y*: 71.25%
• 5Y*: 19.07%
• 10Y*: 29.66%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

LASR vs. KTOS — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

LASR

LASR Risk / Return Rank: 99
LASR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 100
LASR Sortino Ratio Rank: 99
LASR Omega Ratio Rank: 98
LASR Calmar Ratio Rank: 100
LASR Martin Ratio Rank: 100

KTOS

KTOS Risk / Return Rank: 84
KTOS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
KTOS Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
KTOS Omega Ratio Rank: 81
KTOS Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
KTOS Martin Ratio Rank: 82

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

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.

	LASR	KTOS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	7.73	1.95	+5.78
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	5.21	2.42	+2.79
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.69	1.30	+0.39
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	26.29	2.56	+23.73
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	101.16	6.85	+94.31
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

LASR vs. KTOS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current LASR Sharpe Ratio is 7.73, which is higher than the KTOS Sharpe Ratio of 1.95. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of LASR and KTOS, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	LASR	KTOS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	7.73	1.95	+5.78
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.19	0.38	-0.19
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.59	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.16	-0.13	+0.28

Correlation

The correlation between LASR and KTOS is 0.38, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

LASR vs. KTOS - Dividend Comparison

Neither LASR nor KTOS has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

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.

Drawdown Indicators

	LASR	KTOS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-85.66%	-99.81%	+14.15%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-24.74%	-50.06%	+25.32%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-82.47%	-69.39%	-13.08%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-72.74%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-18.75%	-95.71%	+76.96%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-53.75%	-95.94%	+42.19%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.43%	18.68%	-12.25%

Volatility

LASR vs. KTOS - Volatility Comparison

nLIGHT, Inc. (LASR) has a higher volatility of 30.84% compared to Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (KTOS) at 22.29%. 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.

Volatility by Period

	LASR	KTOS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	30.84%	22.29%	+8.55%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	57.77%	55.39%	+2.38%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	84.19%	67.59%	+16.60%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	63.83%	50.57%	+13.26%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	65.86%	50.24%	+15.62%

Financials

LASR vs. KTOS - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between nLIGHT, Inc. and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

LASR - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, nLIGHT, Inc. reported a gross profit of 24.95M and revenue of 81.19M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 30.7%.

KTOS - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. reported a gross profit of 31.60M and revenue of 345.10M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 9.2%.

LASR - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, nLIGHT, Inc. reported an operating income of -5.41M and revenue of 81.19M, resulting in an operating margin of -6.7%.

KTOS - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. reported an operating income of 8.20M and revenue of 345.10M, resulting in an operating margin of 2.4%.

LASR - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, nLIGHT, Inc. reported a net income of -4.91M and revenue of 81.19M, resulting in a net margin of -6.1%.

KTOS - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. reported a net income of 5.90M and revenue of 345.10M, resulting in a net margin of 1.7%.