$CIEN

Ciena (CIEN) said e& UAE deployed its WaveLogic 6 Extreme DWDM optics and Navigator software to build a high-capacity optical network, and Quantum Corridor reported a live quantum-safe networking trial using Ciena and Toshiba tech in the US Midwest. The article links these wins to Ciena’s AI-grade transport and quantum-safe security outlook, citing forecasts of $10.9B revenue and $1.7B earnings by 2029.

On Jul. 23, Needham & Company analyst Ryan Koontz maintained a Buy rating on Ciena (CIEN) and raised his price target to $600. The mean target is $587.50, about a 36% premium to the current price. The Street-high target is $720, implying about 66.6% upside.

Ciena (CIEN) reported Q2 FY2026 backlog rising by more than $600 million sequentially to $7.7 billion, with management expecting a higher exit backlog for FY2026. About $6.4 billion is hardware, with roughly 80% due within 12 months. Ciena raised FY2026 revenue outlook to $6.3 billion (+/- $100 million) and expects Q3 revenue of $1.625 billion (+/- $50 million).

Nvidia (NVDA) signed an MOU with Apollo (APO), BlackRock (BLK), Blackstone (BX), and Brookfield (BAM) to pursue $500B in financing for AI infrastructure, backed by assets. NVDA shares fell 2.86%. Marathon Petroleum (MPC) rose 7.42% to $320.32 on Strait of Hormuz shipping risk. Coherent (COHR) dropped 14.24% ahead of earnings; Lumentum (LITE), Ciena (CIEN), and Corning (GLW) also fell.

The article says Nvidia (NVDA) is near record highs at about $225.30 and is set for Aug. 26 earnings. It notes NVDA has fallen the day after earnings six times since Aug. 2024 and cites analysts expecting TSMC (TSM) to have about 27% upside and Ciena (CIEN) to have outperformed, with TSMC target around $545.67 and Ciena target around $583.

Lumentum (LITE) shares were about flat near $936.95 as investors digest a heavy earnings week in optical networking. In its Q4 call, Lumentum CEO said a hyperscaler’s backbone capacity between two AI data center sites could double versus the prior decade and expects a fourfold rise in pump laser shipments. Lumentum reported $1.006B revenue (+109% YoY) and guided Q1 FY2027 revenue to $1.225B-$1.275B.

Coherent (COHR) and Cisco (CSCO) fell after fiscal Q4 results, with COHR down 4.94% and CSCO down 8.48%. Coherent reported $2.05B revenue and $1.74 non-GAAP EPS but disclosed FY2026 operating cash flow of $79.5M vs $1.10B capex. Cisco revenue was $17.25B; margins fell. Ciena (CIEN) and Nokia (NOK) rose on optics demand read-through.

Lumentum (LITE) reported fiscal Q4 net revenue of $1.006B, up 109% YoY, with non-GAAP EPS of $3.23, and issued Q1 FY27 revenue guidance of $1.225B to $1.275B plus a 40% to 41% operating margin. Shares rose 13% to $926. The article also highlights the new Roundhill Photonics & Optics ETF (LYTE) and AXT (AXTI) gains.

After Lumentum’s fiscal Q4 beat, shares of Lumentum Holdings (LITE) rose 14% to $932. Lumentum reported adjusted EPS of $3.23 vs $2.99 and revenue of $1.01B (+109%). Nokia (NOK) and Celestica (CLS) each gained 9%, while Ciena (CIEN) rose 11% and Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) added 3% in a sector sympathy rally tied to AI optics demand.

Ciena (CIEN) rose about 14.5% intraday after Lumentum reported fiscal Q4 2026 results that beat expectations and pointed to strong optical component demand, which investors treated as a read-through for Ciena’s order pipeline. The move was reinforced by other AI infrastructure earnings and a Ciena analyst upgrade, citing ~40% YoY revenue growth, a $7.7B backlog, and raised fiscal 2026 guidance.