Analysis of Novanta CEO's Share Sale
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 2 hours ago
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Should l Buy NOVT?
Source: Fool
- Share Sale Overview: CEO Matthijs Glastra sold 6,500 shares of Novanta on February 2, 2026, in multiple open-market transactions valued at approximately $878,458.68, reducing his direct ownership by 9.11% and leaving shares worth about $8.7 million, indicating confidence in the company's future.
- Transaction Context: This sale was executed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan established in September 2025, aimed at avoiding insider trading accusations, suggesting that the sale was not driven by concerns about the company's outlook but rather by prudent financial planning.
- Market Performance and Impact: Novanta's stock has surged about 23% year-to-date in 2026, primarily due to strong business performance, with Q3 revenue reaching $247.8 million, a 1.4% increase year-over-year, while a 17% growth in bookings indicates robust product demand, further supporting the stock price increase.
- Investor Recommendation: Although the current stock price is at a high point with a price-to-earnings ratio nearing 100, analysts recommend that investors wait for a price correction before considering buying, rather than chasing at elevated levels to mitigate investment risk.
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Analyst Views on NOVT
About NOVT
Novanta Inc. is a supplier of core technology solutions, which offer medical and advanced industrial original equipment manufacturers. Its segment includes Automation Enabling Technologies and Medical Solutions. The Automation Enabling Technologies segment designs, manufactures and markets laser beam delivery components, laser beam delivery solutions, CO2 lasers, solid state lasers, ultrafast lasers, optical and inductive encoders, precision motors, integrated stepper motors, servo drives, motion control solutions, intelligent robotic end-of-arm technology solutions, and air bearing spindles to customers worldwide. The Medical Solutions segment designs, manufactures and markets a range of medical grade technologies, including medical insufflators and endoscopic pumps and related disposables, laser beam delivery solutions, video processing and streaming and capture, machine vision technologies, radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies, thermal chart recorders, and others.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Share Sale Overview: CEO Matthijs Glastra sold 6,500 shares of Novanta on February 2, 2026, in multiple open-market transactions valued at approximately $878,458.68, reducing his direct ownership by 9.11% and leaving shares worth about $8.7 million, indicating confidence in the company's future.
- Transaction Context: This sale was executed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan established in September 2025, aimed at avoiding insider trading accusations, suggesting that the sale was not driven by concerns about the company's outlook but rather by prudent financial planning.
- Market Performance and Impact: Novanta's stock has surged about 23% year-to-date in 2026, primarily due to strong business performance, with Q3 revenue reaching $247.8 million, a 1.4% increase year-over-year, while a 17% growth in bookings indicates robust product demand, further supporting the stock price increase.
- Investor Recommendation: Although the current stock price is at a high point with a price-to-earnings ratio nearing 100, analysts recommend that investors wait for a price correction before considering buying, rather than chasing at elevated levels to mitigate investment risk.
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- Executive Share Sale: CEO Matthijs Glastra sold 6,500 shares of Novanta on February 2, 2026, for approximately $878,458, representing 5.17% of his holdings, indicating confidence in the market.
- Transparent Trading Plan: The sale was executed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan established in September 2025, aimed at avoiding insider trading allegations, suggesting that the reduction in holdings is not a sign of concern for the company's future.
- Strong Stock Performance: As of February 20, 2026, Novanta's stock has surged about 23% year-to-date, primarily driven by a revenue increase to $247.8 million in the third quarter, up from $244.4 million last year, reflecting robust market demand.
- High Market Valuation: With a price-to-earnings ratio nearing 100, Novanta's stock is at a high point for the past year, making the current time to sell prudent, although analysts advise waiting for a price drop before considering new purchases.
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- Transaction Overview: CEO Matthijs Glastra sold 6,500 shares of Novanta on February 2, 2026, through multiple open-market transactions, totaling approximately $878,458.68, reducing his direct ownership by 9.11% to 64,867 shares valued at around $8.7 million.
- Compliance with Trading Plan: The sale was executed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan established in September 2025, indicating that the CEO's actions were not a negative signal regarding the company's future prospects, but rather a strategic compliance measure.
- Market Performance: Novanta's stock has surged about 23% year-to-date in 2026, driven by a revenue increase to $247.8 million in the third quarter compared to $244.4 million last year, reflecting strong market demand for its products.
- Investment Advice: Despite the current high stock price, analysts recommend waiting for a price drop before considering purchasing Novanta shares, as its price-to-earnings ratio is nearing 100, indicating a potentially overvalued situation.
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- Share Increase: American Capital Management increased its stake in Novanta by 163,005 shares in Q4 2026, with an estimated trade value of $18.56 million, indicating confidence in the company's future growth prospects.
- Value Appreciation: As of February 17, 2026, the total shares held in Novanta reached 381,866, valued at $45.44 million, reflecting a $23.52 million increase from the previous quarter due to both share additions and price appreciation.
- Market Performance Analysis: Although Novanta's stock price has risen by 1% over the past year, it underperformed the S&P 500 by 10.4 percentage points, indicating relative weakness in the market.
- Industry Outlook: With signs of recovery in the medical and industrial OEM markets, Novanta's core business is expected to accelerate, despite a modest revenue growth of only 1.4% and a high P/E ratio of 99, leading investors to remain cautious about its valuation.
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- Share Increase: American Capital Management added 163,005 shares of Novanta in Q4 2026, with an estimated transaction value of $18.56 million, indicating confidence in the stock despite a mere 1% price increase over the past year.
- Value Appreciation: By quarter-end, the total value of American Capital's stake in Novanta reached $45.44 million, reflecting a $23.52 million increase from the previous quarter due to both trading activity and price appreciation.
- Asset Allocation Shift: Novanta now represents 2% of American Capital's reported AUM, indicating its growing significance in the investment portfolio, even though it remains outside the top five holdings.
- Market Performance Analysis: Despite Novanta's high P/E ratio of 99, significantly above the market average, and a modest revenue growth of 1.4%, signs of recovery in the medical and industrial OEM markets may support its future performance.
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- New Position Disclosure: On February 13, 2026, ACK Asset Management disclosed a new position by acquiring 375,000 shares of Novanta, valued at approximately $44.62 million, marking a significant investment in the company.
- Asset Allocation Ratio: This acquisition represents 5.6% of ACK's 13F AUM, indicating a strong confidence in Novanta's future growth potential amidst a challenging market environment.
- Company Financial Overview: As of February 12, 2026, Novanta's share price stood at $139.29, reflecting a 5.7% decline over the past year and underperforming the S&P 500 by 18.63 percentage points, suggesting market caution regarding its growth prospects.
- Future Outlook: Novanta projects full-year 2025 revenue between $975 million and $979 million, with adjusted EBITDA expected to be between $222 million and $225 million, indicating potential growth opportunities as demand in medical and industrial sectors recovers.
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