SAXONBURG, Pa., Feb. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR), a global leader in photonics, today announced that it will host a Technology Innovation Briefing during the 2026 Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC) in Los Angeles on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. ET at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza in Los Angeles. Event: Coherent Technology Innovation Briefing at OFC 2026Location: Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza, Los Angeles, CADate: Tu ...

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the author's experiences and insights related to investing in optical and laser companies, specifically mentioning Lumentum Holdings and Ciena, while emphasizing a personal background in engineering and a focus on technology stocks [1]. Group 1 - The author has written about several optical and laser companies, including Lumentum Holdings and Ciena, indicating a sustained interest in this sector [1]. - The author has a background as a Merchant Seaman and has developed a strong interest in investing over the last 15 years, learning from various sources [1]. - The author expresses a preference for technology stocks due to an engineering background, suggesting a technical perspective on investment choices [1].

Core Insights - Carillon Tower Advisers reported that small-cap stocks had marginal gains in Q4 2025, with the Russell 2000 Growth Index returning 13.01% and the Russell 2000 Value Index gaining 12.58% [1] - The firm anticipates a favorable year ahead for equity markets, highlighting potential opportunities in sectors such as Cyclicals, Healthcare, Information Technology, Financials, and Consumer spending as they approach 2026 [1] Company Insights - Coherent Corp. (NYSE:COHR) closed at $219.96 per share on February 17, 2026, with a one-month return of 9.18% and a 12-month increase of 154.64%, giving it a market capitalization of $41.23 billion [2] - Coherent Corp. experienced a rise in shares due to strong earnings results and a positive outlook, driven by demand for transceivers used in AI data centers and telecommunications [3] - The company is expected to benefit from a transition to products that enable faster throughput speeds, with previous manufacturing capacity constraints easing [3] Hedge Fund Activity - Coherent Corp. was held by 78 hedge fund portfolios at the end of Q3 2025, an increase from 66 in the previous quarter [4] - While Coherent Corp. shows potential as an investment, the company is not among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds, and certain AI stocks are considered to offer greater upside potential with less downside risk [4]

All three strategies represent first-to-market exposures on growth namesNEW YORK, Feb. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Tradr ETFs, a provider of ETFs designed for sophisticated investors and professional traders, announced that it expects to launch three first-to-market single stock leveraged ETFs on Thursday, February 19. The Cboe-listed funds seek to deliver either two times the inverse (-200%) or two times long (200%) the daily performance of a specific underlying stock.Expected Tradr launches:Tradr 2X Short CL ...

SAXONBURG, Pa., Feb. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR), a global leader in photonics, today announced the participation of its executives in key thought leadership sessions at the Optica Executive Forum during OFC 2026, the premier global event for optical networking and communications. Coherent’s Chief Executive Officer Jim Anderson will be a featured panelist on the CEO Panel on Monday, March 16, at the JW Marriott Hotel Los Angeles L.A. LIVE. He will join industry peers to share pe ...

Core Viewpoint - Coherent (COHR) has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), indicating a positive earnings outlook that may lead to increased stock prices [1][3]. Earnings Estimates and Stock Price Impact - The Zacks rating system is based on changes in earnings estimates, which are strongly correlated with near-term stock price movements [4][6]. - Rising earnings estimates for Coherent suggest an improvement in the company's underlying business, likely resulting in upward pressure on its stock price [5][10]. Zacks Rank System - The Zacks Rank system classifies stocks into five groups based on earnings estimates, with Zacks Rank 1 stocks historically generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988 [7]. - Only the top 5% of Zacks-covered stocks receive a "Strong Buy" rating, indicating superior earnings estimate revisions [9][10]. Coherent's Earnings Estimates - Coherent is expected to earn $5.38 per share for the fiscal year ending June 2026, with no year-over-year change [8]. - Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Coherent has increased by 10.1% [8].

Core Insights - Coherent Corp. has received awards for six of its products in the 2026 Lightwave Innovation Reviews, maintaining its leadership in optical networking innovation [1][2] Product Recognition - The 100G ZR QSFP28 DCO transceiver was recognized for its low latency variation, enabling precise time synchronization across various applications [3] - The 140 Gbaud IC-TROSA Extended C-Band supports ultra-fast symbol rates and lower power dissipation, enhancing next-generation 800G digital coherent optics [4] - 2D VCSEL Arrays for Optical Interconnects provide energy-efficient solutions for short-reach applications, delivering high bandwidth density and scalability [5] - The WaveAnalyzer™ 200B Portable Optical Spectrum Analyzer offers high-resolution spectral analysis in a compact form, facilitating rapid deployment and maintenance of optical networks [6] - The Flexgrid Octa C+L Dense Gain Equalizer enables dynamic optical power management, optimizing performance in flexible-grid DWDM networks [7] - The Multiport High-Resolution Optical Channel Monitor is designed for AI-driven data center interconnects, featuring ultra-fast scanning and high accuracy [8] Company Overview - Coherent is a global leader in photonics, providing technology solutions for the datacenter, communications, and industrial markets [10]

Core Insights - The article discusses the trend of investment in AI infrastructure, highlighting that funding often follows specific constraints, starting with GPUs, then custom silicon, and currently focusing on memory technology [1] Group 1: Investment Trends - Investment in AI infrastructure is evolving, with a historical focus on GPUs, followed by custom silicon, and now shifting towards addressing the memory wall [1] Group 2: Analyst Background - The author is a finance student at St. John's University, pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Finance and plans to obtain a CFA certification, aiming to become an equity analyst focused on innovation-driven sectors such as tech, semiconductors, and biotech [1]

Core Insights - The article discusses the trend of investment in AI infrastructure, highlighting the progression from GPUs to custom silicon and now focusing on memory constraints [1] Group 1: Investment Trends - Investment in AI infrastructure is evolving, with initial focus on GPUs, followed by custom silicon, and currently addressing memory limitations [1] Group 2: Company Focus - The analysis emphasizes the importance of companies that possess strong competitive advantages in sectors such as technology, semiconductors, and biotechnology [1]

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Recommended" rating for Pengding Holdings (002938) with a target PE of 30x for 2025E and 24x for 2026E, while other companies like Shenghong Technology (300476) and Shengyi Technology (600183) do not have a specific rating [3]. Core Insights - North American cloud vendors are experiencing a significant increase in capital expenditures, driven by AI demand, with total capital expenditures projected to rise from approximately $160 billion to about $450 billion from 2023 to 2025, indicating a strong alignment between capital expenditure growth and AI computing demand [9][25]. - The NPO (Near-Photonics Optics) and CPO (Co-Packaged Optics) technologies are gaining traction in the industry, providing substantial growth opportunities for domestic optical communication companies [31][46]. - The report emphasizes the importance of scalable optical modules in future cloud infrastructure, with NPO currently favored by domestic cloud vendors due to its advantages in interconnect density and cost [34][36]. Summary by Sections North American Cloud Vendors' Financial Performance - Microsoft reported Q4 FY26 revenue of $81.273 billion, a year-over-year increase of 16.72%, with a net profit of $38.458 billion, up 59.52% [12]. - Google achieved Q4 FY25 revenue of $113.828 billion, a 17.99% increase year-over-year, with a net profit of $34.455 billion, up 29.84% [16]. - Amazon's Q4 FY25 revenue reached $213.386 billion, a 13.62% increase year-over-year, with a net profit of $2.1192 billion, up 5.93% [20]. - Meta's Q4 FY25 revenue was $59.893 billion, a 23.78% increase year-over-year, with a net profit of $22.768 billion, up 9.26% [21]. Capital Expenditure Outlook for 2026 - Google is expected to have a capital expenditure of $175-185 billion in 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 97% [25]. - Meta's capital expenditure is projected to be in the range of $115-135 billion for 2026, indicating a 77% increase year-over-year [27]. - Amazon's capital expenditure for 2026 is estimated at around $200 billion, a 50% increase from previous estimates [20]. NPO and CPO Technology Developments - NPO technology is gaining popularity among cloud vendors due to its high interconnect density and cost-effectiveness, making it suitable for distributed scale-up networks [34][36]. - CPO technology, which integrates optical engines and switching chips, is being actively promoted by NVIDIA and is expected to replace traditional pluggable optical modules in the future [37][42]. - The report highlights the significant development space for domestic optical communication companies driven by the advancements in NPO and CPO technologies [31][46].