Despite bearish momentum shaping the broader market in March, Evolv Technologies (EVLV +4.00%) stock managed to post big gains. The company's share price climbed 14.2% in the month. Over the same period, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite declined 5.1% and 4.8%, respectively.
Evolv's market-beating performance stemmed from a solid quarterly report and strong forward guidance. Even with the gains, the stock is still down roughly 16% across 2026's trading.
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Evolv rises on Q4 sales beat and forward guidance
Evolv report its fourth-quarter results on March 10, reporting earnings that missed Wall Street's guidance but sales that exceeded expectations. The company recorded a non-GAAP (adjusted) loss of $0.03 per share on sales of $38.5 million. For comparison, the average Wall Street analyst estimate had targeted an adjusted per-share loss of $0.02 on sales of $36.44 million.
Sales increased 32% year over year in Q4, and the business generated GAAP net income of $10.9 million in the period -- representing a net-income margin of 28%. The profit marked a substantial improvement over the $15.7 million net loss recorded in last year's quarter. The company also closed out last year with annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $120.5 million -- good for year-over-year growth of 21%.
Along with its Q4 report, Evolv raised its 2026 revenue target to between $172 million and $178 million. Previously, the company had targeted sales between $160 million and $165 million for the year. Meanwhile, ARR for 2026 is projected to grow between 20% and 25%. Guidance for strong growth this year helped power substantial gains for the stock despite a bearish backdrop for the broader market.
NASDAQ: EVLV
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Evolv also followed its Q4 report with news of two significant contract extensions. The security company announced that it had extended its contract with the NFL's Tennessee Titans on March 12 and then announced on March 18 that it extended its service contract with the MLB's Houston Astros. The deal with the Astros marks the first adoption of Evolv's eXpedite artificial intelligence (AI) systems for weapons detection in a professional baseball stadium.
Evolv's rally has continued in April
Thanks in part to recovery momentum for the broader market, Evolv stock's hot streak has extended into April. The company's share price is up roughly 6.2% in the month so far. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 is up 3.8%, and the Nasdaq Composite is up 5.2%.
The broader market's gains have been driven by hopes that the war with Iran could begin winding down in the not-too-distant future. On the other hand, recent comments from President Donald Trump suggesting that the U.S. could soon strike major Iranian infrastructure targets could spur another round of bearish volatility for stocks.
