Coherent (COHR) vs Nova (NVMI)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 9, 2026.
Summary
Coherent (COHR) has outperformed Nova (NVMI) over the past year, gaining 159.1% versus a gain of 10.3%. Over five years, COHR leads with a +425.3% price change compared with +241.5% for NVMI. Coherent is the larger company by market cap ($59.21 billion vs $11.28 billion), about 5.2 times the size, while Nova is growing revenue faster (+31.0% vs +22.5%).
On valuation, Coherent trades at a lower forward P/E (21.5x vs 26.0x for Nova). Nova converts more of its revenue into profit, with a net margin of 29.4% versus 11.3%.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | COHR | NVMI |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $302.35 | $354.59 |
| Market cap | $59.21B | $11.28B |
| 1-day change | -9.63% | -6.14% |
| YTD return | +63.81% | +7.98% |
| 1-year return | +159.15% | +10.30% |
| 5-year return | +425.28% | +241.51% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 73.39 | 44.32 |
| Forward P/E | 21.53 | 25.96 |
| EPS (TTM) | $4.12 | $8.00 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $7.12B | $880.58M |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +22.51% | +30.96% |
| Net income (latest FY) | $805.00M | $259.22M |
| Gross margin | 37.50% | 57.37% |
| Operating margin | — | 28.78% |
| Net margin | 11.31% | 29.44% |
| 52-week high | $440.00 | $615.99 |
| 52-week low | $108.19 | $266.43 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -31.28% | -42.44% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | strong_buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +36.44% | +50.03% |
| Average volume | 6.44M | 515.54K |
| Shares outstanding | 195.83M | 31.81M |
| Employees | 51,478 | 1,612 |
| Sector | Technology | Technology |
| Industry | Electronic Components | Electronic Components |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- Coherent is about 5.2 times larger than Nova by market value ($59.21B vs $11.28B).
- COHR has outperformed NVMI by 148.9 percentage points over the past year.
- Coherent trades at a higher earnings multiple (73.4x vs 44.3x trailing P/E).
- Nova is more profitable, keeping 29.4 cents of every revenue dollar as net income versus 11.3 cents for Coherent.
- Nova grew revenue faster in its latest fiscal year (+30.96% vs +22.51%).
About Coherent
COHR stock →Coherent Corp. develops, manufactures, and markets lasers, transceivers, other optical and optoelectronic devices, modules, and systems worldwide.
Technology · Electronic Components · 51,478 employees
About Nova
NVMI stock →Nova Ltd. engages in the design, development, production, and sale of process control systems used in the manufacture of semiconductors in Taiwan, the United States, China, Korea, and internationally.
Technology · Electronic Components · 1,612 employees
COHR vs NVMI FAQ
Which is bigger, Coherent or Nova?
Coherent (COHR) is larger, with a market capitalization of $59.21B compared with $11.28B for Nova (NVMI).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, COHR or NVMI?
COHR returned +159.15% over the past 12 months, compared with +10.30% for NVMI (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, COHR or NVMI?
NVMI has the lower trailing P/E at 44.3, versus 73.4 for COHR. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Are Coherent and Nova in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Electronic Components industry within the Technology sector.