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Side-by-side financial comparison of ACACIA RESEARCH CORP (ACTG) and NLIGHT, INC. (LASR). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
NLIGHT, INC. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($81.2M vs $50.1M, roughly 1.6× ACACIA RESEARCH CORP). ACACIA RESEARCH CORP runs the higher net margin — 6.8% vs -6.0%, a 12.9% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, NLIGHT, INC. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (71.3% vs 2.6%). Over the past eight quarters, ACACIA RESEARCH CORP's revenue compounded faster (43.6% CAGR vs 35.0%).
Acacia Research Corporation is a publicly traded American company based in New York City. It acquires and operates businesses in industries including the technology, energy, and industrial/manufacturing sectors. Acacia has a strategic relationship with Starboard Value, LP, the company's controlling shareholder. The company has been characterized as a patent troll.
nLight Inc. is a global developer and manufacturer of high-performance semiconductor lasers, fiber lasers, and related optical components. Its products serve key segments including industrial precision manufacturing, aerospace and defense, medical equipment, and advanced research, with customers across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
ACTG vs LASR — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $50.1M | $81.2M |
| Net Profit | $3.4M | $-4.9M |
| Gross Margin | 12.8% | 30.7% |
| Operating Margin | -26.1% | -6.7% |
| Net Margin | 6.8% | -6.0% |
| Revenue YoY | 2.6% | 71.3% |
| Net Profit YoY | 125.5% | 80.3% |
| EPS (diluted) | $0.03 | $-0.10 |
Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.
8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend
Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.
| Q4 25 | $50.1M | $81.2M | ||
| Q3 25 | $59.4M | $66.7M | ||
| Q2 25 | $51.2M | $61.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $124.4M | $51.7M | ||
| Q4 24 | $48.8M | $47.4M | ||
| Q3 24 | $23.3M | $56.1M | ||
| Q2 24 | $25.8M | $50.5M | ||
| Q1 24 | $24.3M | $44.5M |
| Q4 25 | $3.4M | $-4.9M | ||
| Q3 25 | $-2.7M | $-6.9M | ||
| Q2 25 | $-3.3M | $-3.6M | ||
| Q1 25 | $24.3M | $-8.1M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-13.4M | $-25.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $-14.0M | $-10.3M | ||
| Q2 24 | $-8.4M | $-11.7M | ||
| Q1 24 | $-186.0K | $-13.8M |
| Q4 25 | 12.8% | 30.7% | ||
| Q3 25 | 21.2% | 31.1% | ||
| Q2 25 | 12.8% | 29.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | 47.4% | 26.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | 17.6% | 2.4% | ||
| Q3 24 | 10.1% | 22.4% | ||
| Q2 24 | 26.2% | 23.5% | ||
| Q1 24 | 49.2% | 16.8% |
| Q4 25 | -26.1% | -6.7% | ||
| Q3 25 | -10.8% | -10.9% | ||
| Q2 25 | -24.2% | -6.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | 30.8% | -18.6% | ||
| Q4 24 | -32.4% | -55.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | -44.1% | -21.0% | ||
| Q2 24 | -18.4% | -25.1% | ||
| Q1 24 | -8.6% | -33.1% |
| Q4 25 | 6.8% | -6.0% | ||
| Q3 25 | -4.6% | -10.3% | ||
| Q2 25 | -6.4% | -5.8% | ||
| Q1 25 | 19.5% | -15.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | -27.5% | -52.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | -60.0% | -18.4% | ||
| Q2 24 | -32.7% | -23.2% | ||
| Q1 24 | -0.8% | -30.9% |
| Q4 25 | $0.03 | $-0.10 | ||
| Q3 25 | $-0.03 | $-0.14 | ||
| Q2 25 | $-0.03 | $-0.07 | ||
| Q1 25 | $0.25 | $-0.16 | ||
| Q4 24 | $-0.14 | $-0.52 | ||
| Q3 24 | $-0.14 | $-0.21 | ||
| Q2 24 | $-0.08 | $-0.25 | ||
| Q1 24 | $0.00 | $-0.29 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $306.7M | $98.7M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $91.9M | — |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $543.5M | $226.7M |
| Total Assets | $771.0M | $315.2M |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 0.17× | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $306.7M | $98.7M | ||
| Q3 25 | $301.8M | $81.1M | ||
| Q2 25 | $316.7M | $78.8M | ||
| Q1 25 | $272.0M | $82.2M | ||
| Q4 24 | $273.9M | $65.8M | ||
| Q3 24 | $410.9M | $41.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $441.9M | $49.4M | ||
| Q1 24 | $498.4M | $61.3M |
| Q4 25 | $91.9M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | — | ||
| Q2 25 | — | — | ||
| Q1 25 | — | — | ||
| Q4 24 | — | — | ||
| Q3 24 | — | — | ||
| Q2 24 | — | — | ||
| Q1 24 | — | — |
| Q4 25 | $543.5M | $226.7M | ||
| Q3 25 | $537.6M | $218.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | $538.6M | $216.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $540.2M | $212.8M | ||
| Q4 24 | $514.8M | $216.4M | ||
| Q3 24 | $540.2M | $235.3M | ||
| Q2 24 | $560.7M | $239.5M | ||
| Q1 24 | $568.3M | $244.4M |
| Q4 25 | $771.0M | $315.2M | ||
| Q3 25 | $768.9M | $298.7M | ||
| Q2 25 | $775.5M | $295.3M | ||
| Q1 25 | $801.6M | $290.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $756.4M | $270.2M | ||
| Q3 24 | $707.6M | $291.3M | ||
| Q2 24 | $753.6M | $294.3M | ||
| Q1 24 | $631.7M | $302.8M |
| Q4 25 | 0.17× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | — | ||
| Q2 25 | — | — | ||
| Q1 25 | — | — | ||
| Q4 24 | — | — | ||
| Q3 24 | — | — | ||
| Q2 24 | — | — | ||
| Q1 24 | — | — |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $75.2M | $17.5M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | — | $15.9M |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | — | 19.6% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | — | 2.0% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | 22.01× | — |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | — | $12.3M |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $75.2M | $17.5M | ||
| Q3 25 | $9.5M | $5.2M | ||
| Q2 25 | $50.1M | $-1.4M | ||
| Q1 25 | $2.4M | $-20.0K | ||
| Q4 24 | $50.1M | $-3.9M | ||
| Q3 24 | $-593.0K | $-5.6M | ||
| Q2 24 | $16.1M | $-4.2M | ||
| Q1 24 | $54.8M | $11.4M |
| Q4 25 | — | $15.9M | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $2.4M | ||
| Q2 25 | — | $-3.8M | ||
| Q1 25 | $335.0K | $-2.3M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-98.5M | $-6.5M | ||
| Q3 24 | $-2.8M | $-7.2M | ||
| Q2 24 | $-126.7M | $-6.4M | ||
| Q1 24 | $54.6M | $9.8M |
| Q4 25 | — | 19.6% | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 3.7% | ||
| Q2 25 | — | -6.1% | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.3% | -4.5% | ||
| Q4 24 | -201.8% | -13.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | -12.1% | -12.9% | ||
| Q2 24 | -490.5% | -12.6% | ||
| Q1 24 | 224.4% | 22.1% |
| Q4 25 | — | 2.0% | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 4.2% | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 3.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.7% | 4.4% | ||
| Q4 24 | 304.4% | 5.5% | ||
| Q3 24 | 9.6% | 2.9% | ||
| Q2 24 | 553.0% | 4.2% | ||
| Q1 24 | 1.1% | 3.5% |
| Q4 25 | 22.01× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | — | ||
| Q2 25 | — | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.10× | — | ||
| Q4 24 | — | — | ||
| Q3 24 | — | — | ||
| Q2 24 | — | — | ||
| Q1 24 | — | — |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
ACTG
| Energy Operations | $16.0M | 32% |
| Transportation Safety | $10.4M | 21% |
| Office Storage And Display Solutions | $8.4M | 17% |
| Printers Consumables And Parts | $6.5M | 13% |
| Natural Gas Reserves | $5.1M | 10% |
| Natural Gas Liquids Reserves | $3.3M | 7% |
LASR
| Aerospaceand Defense | $56.3M | 69% |
| Microfabrication | $14.2M | 18% |
| Industrial | $10.7M | 13% |
