IPG Photonics Shares Plunged: What You Need to Know

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of IPG Photonics (NAS: IPGP) fell more than 13% in early trading on higher-than-average volume. A high-profile court case may be the cause.

So what: No specific news dominated the feed, but this week marks the beginning of a jury trial in which it must defend against patent-infringement claims made by competitor IMRA America. A judge in March denied IPG's request for summary judgment in the case.

Now what:Ongoing, expensive patent tussles seem to be the New Normal in tech. Here, IPG's dominance of the high-growth fiber laser market is at stake. Today's selloff suggests that at least some investors are hedging their bets. Do you agree? Would you buy IPG Photonics' stock at these levels? Please weigh in using the comments box below.

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At the time thisarticle was published Fool contributorTim Beyersis a member of theMotley Fool Rule Breakersstock-picking team. He didn't own shares in any of the companies mentioned in this article at the time of publication. Check out Tim'sportfolio holdingsandFoolish writings, or connect with him onGoogle+or Twitter, where he goes by@milehighfool. You can also get his insightsdelivered directly to your RSS reader.Motley Fool newsletter serviceshave recommended buying shares of IPG Photonics. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe thatconsidering a diverse range of insightsmakes us better investors. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.

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