ZACKS·2025-12-15 17:51Industry Overview - Artificial intelligence is entering a new phase of infrastructure expansion, with photonics as a key technology enabling this growth [1] - Optical interconnects, silicon photonics, and co-packaged optics are essential for boosting bandwidth, reducing latency, and lowering power consumption in next-generation data centers [2] - The market for optical interconnects is projected to grow from approximately $16 billion in 2024 to between $34 billion and $41 billion by 2030 [3] Company Insights - Lumentum manufactures critical optical components for AI data centers and has seen accelerating sales and earnings growth, earning a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) [7][8] - Coherent Corp produces lasers and optical components for AI data centers and has a Zacks Rank 1, with strong sales and earnings momentum [10][11] - Fabrinet specializes in the assembly of optical and photonic components and has a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), benefiting from rising demand for high-speed optical modules [14][16] Financial Performance - Lumentum's revenue is projected to climb 56% this year and 31.4% next year, with earnings expected to surge 163% year over year [9] - Coherent Corp's sales are expected to grow 15.1% this year and 14.5% next year, with earnings projected to rise 44.5% and 24.6% over the same periods [11] - Fabrinet's sales are expected to increase 28.5% this year and 16.9% next year, with earnings projected to grow 30.7% and 16.1% over the same periods [17] Market Trends - Investors are beginning to rotate into the photonics industry, with strong performance observed in stocks related to this sector [5] - The shift towards optical technologies in AI infrastructure is gaining attention, indicating a potential multi-year demand tailwind for companies like Lumentum, Coherent, and Fabrinet [20][21]