Ciena Corporation (NYSE:CIEN) is one of the hot tech stocks to invest in. On December 12, Argus raised the firm’s price target on Ciena to $280 from $135 and maintained a Buy rating on the shares. Ciena is experiencing a surge in orders and expanding into new markets and customer bases as its AI networking opportunities rapidly grow following strong Q4 results. Although heavy investments in these initiatives are currently impacting margins, the firm anticipates that increasing volumes will offset this pres ...

Core Viewpoint - Three stocks with strong growth characteristics and buy ranks are highlighted for investors to consider, including Ciena Corporation, Alarm.com Holdings, and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation [1][2][3] Company Summaries - **Ciena Corporation (CIEN)**: - Zacks Rank 1 - Current year earnings estimate increased by 18.1% over the last 60 days - PEG ratio of 1.12 compared to the industry average of 5.21 - Growth Score of A [1] - **Alarm.com Holdings, Inc. (ALRM)**: - Zacks Rank 1 - Current year earnings estimate increased by 5.5% over the last 60 days - PEG ratio of 1.63 compared to the industry average of 2.92 - Growth Score of B [2] - **Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD)**: - Zacks Rank 1 - Current year earnings estimate increased by 6.9% over the last 60 days - PEG ratio of 1.03 compared to the industry average of 3.09 - Growth Score of A [3]

Group 1: Ciena Corporation (CIEN) - Ciena Corporation is a network technology company with a Zacks Rank 1 [1] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 18.1% over the last 60 days [1] - Ciena has a PEG ratio of 1.07, significantly lower than the industry average of 5.12, and possesses a Growth Score of A [1] Group 2: Alarm.com Holdings, Inc. (ALRM) - Alarm.com Holdings, Inc. is an IoT solutions provider with a Zacks Rank 1 [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 5.5% over the last 60 days [2] - Alarm.com has a PEG ratio of 1.66 compared to the industry average of 2.94, and possesses a Growth Score of B [2] Group 3: Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) - Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation is a dredging company with a Zacks Rank 1 [3] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 6.9% over the last 60 days [3] - Great Lakes Dredge & Dock has a PEG ratio of 1.03, lower than the industry average of 3.06, and possesses a Growth Score of A [3]

We came across a bullish thesis on Ciena Corporation on Make Money, Make Time’s Substack by Oliver | MMMT Wealth. In this article, we will summarize the bulls’ thesis on CIEN. Ciena Corporation's share was trading at $209.84 as of December 16th. CIEN’s trailing and forward P/E were 246.87 and 48.54 respectively according to Yahoo Finance. Top 10 Stocks Offering High Upside Potential in Data Centers and AI Source:Pixabay Ciena Corporation, a network technology company, provides hardware, software, and se ...

Scout Investments, Inc., an affiliate of Carillon Tower Advisers, recently released its third-quarter 2025 investor letter for “Carillon Scout Mid Cap Fund”. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The Russell Midcap Index posted positive returns in the quarter, fueled by strong corporate earnings, the continued momentum in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, and the anticipation of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s (Fed) interest rates. In addition, please check the fund’s top five holdings to know ...

Core Insights - The Madison Small Cap Fund experienced a challenging third quarter in 2025, with a decline of 1.3%, underperforming its benchmarks due to stock selection and a speculative market environment [1] Fund Performance - The small-cap index's performance was broad-based, indicating widespread challenges across the sector [1] - The fund's top five holdings were highlighted as key picks for 2025, although specific details were not provided in the summary [1] Ciena Corporation Analysis - Ciena Corporation (NYSE: CIEN) was noted as a significant investment, with a one-month return of -2.34% and a remarkable 154.00% increase over the past 52 weeks, closing at $178.26 per share with a market capitalization of $25.2 billion [2] - Ciena is positioned as a beneficiary of the capital spending boom in AI, although the fund's overall tech investments underperformed compared to the Russell 2000's tech stocks, which rose by 15% [3] AI Market Concerns - There is a prevailing fear among investors regarding the potential disruption of software business models by AI, leading to multiple compression across the software sector [3] - The company argues that fears of AI replacing critical software applications are exaggerated, citing that 60% of AI-generated answers are incorrect and that 95% of recent AI enterprise projects are failing, which undermines the notion of AI as a replacement for established systems [3]

Core Insights - U.S. small/mid-cap equities showed solid performance in Q3 2025, with the Aristotle Capital Small/Mid Cap Equity Strategy returning 2.57% net of fees, underperforming the Russell 2500 Index's 9.00% total return [1] Company Performance - Ciena Corporation (NYSE:CIEN) reported a one-month return of 24.77% and a remarkable 195.39% increase in share value over the past 52 weeks, closing at $188.96 per share with a market capitalization of $26.708 billion on October 30, 2025 [2] - Ciena's Q3 2025 revenue reached $1.22 billion, exceeding guidance expectations, marking an 8% sequential increase and nearly 30% year-over-year growth [4] Strategic Positioning - Ciena Corporation is positioned to benefit from strong demand for bandwidth due to its differentiated product portfolio and history of technological innovation, driven by AI-related demand and optimistic forward guidance [3]

Group 1 - Ciena Corporation is identified as a strong investment opportunity for the next decade, with a recent price target increase from BofA to $200 from $155, maintaining a Buy rating [1] - The networking and cybersecurity sectors are experiencing strong momentum and healthy fundamentals, driven by increasing enterprise security budgets and ongoing technological advancements [1] - BNP Paribas Exane also upgraded Ciena to Outperform from Neutral, raising its price target to $185 from $120, highlighting the company's favorable position to benefit from rising investments in data centers [2] Group 2 - Ciena provides hardware, software, and services for network operators across various regions, including the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Japan, and India [2] - The company's recent multiple expansion is seen as justified, with expectations of further earnings upside due to increasing exposure to data centers [2]

Core Insights - Nokia Corporation is a significant player in the B2B technology sector, focusing on innovative solutions in mobile, fixed, and cloud networks [1] - UBS has maintained a Neutral rating for Nokia, with a current stock price of $6.36 and an increased price target from EUR 4.10 to EUR 5.40, indicating a positive outlook [2][5] - The company's market capitalization is approximately $34.2 billion, with a trading volume of 41.16 million shares, reflecting active investor interest [4] Stock Performance - Nokia's stock has shown a slight increase of 0.95%, with a change of $0.06, and has fluctuated between a low of $6.33 and a high of $6.44 on the trading day [3] - Over the past year, the stock has experienced volatility, with a high of $6.44 and a low of $3.91 [3] Insider Activity - Senior manager Tommi Uitto acquired 125 shares at a unit price of 5.36 EUR, indicating insider confidence in the company's future [2][5]

Core Viewpoint - F5 Inc reported strong fourth-quarter earnings but provided a weak outlook for the current quarter, leading to a decline in share price [1][3]. Financial Performance - The company posted quarterly earnings of $4.39 per share, exceeding the analyst consensus estimate of $3.97 per share [1]. - Quarterly sales reached $810.090 million, surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of $793.431 million, reflecting an 8% year-over-year growth [1][3]. - Product revenue grew by 16%, with systems revenue increasing by 42% [3]. - For the full year, F5 achieved a 10% revenue growth and an 18% growth in non-GAAP earnings [3]. Future Outlook - F5 expects first-quarter adjusted EPS to be between $3.35 and $3.85, below the analyst estimate of $4.03 [2]. - The company anticipates sales in the range of $730 million to $780 million, compared to the analyst estimate of $791.412 million [2]. Analyst Ratings and Price Targets - Morgan Stanley maintained an Equal-Weight rating and lowered the price target from $352 to $336 [5]. - Piper Sandler kept a Neutral rating and reduced the price target from $355 to $277 [5]. - B of A Securities maintained an Underperform rating and cut the price target from $260 to $250 [5]. - RBC Capital maintained a Sector Perform rating and lowered the price target from $350 to $315 [5]. - Barclays maintained an Equal-Weight rating and reduced the price target from $321 to $267 [5].