Core Insights - Symbotic (SYM) and Coherent Corp. (COHR) are key players in the Zacks Technology Services industry, with Symbotic focusing on AI-driven robotics for supply-chain optimization and Coherent delivering advanced technologies across various sectors [1][2]. Company Performance Coherent Corp. (COHR) - COHR reported a 17.3% year-over-year revenue increase and a 3.4% sequential growth in Q1 FY26, driven by demand from AI-focused data centers and communications markets [4]. - Operating income surged by 244.5% year-over-year and 4,147.5% sequentially, indicating effective cost management and operational efficiency [4][5]. - The company achieved high production yields for its 6-inch indium phosphide (InP) wafers, supporting production expansion in Sweden and meeting rising optical component demand [6]. - COHR's balance sheet is strong, with cash and cash equivalents of $875 million and a current ratio of 2.33, well above the industry average [7]. - Management anticipates continued demand for 800G products and 1.6T transceivers, with a potential long-term market opportunity exceeding $2 billion for its Optical Circuit Switch technology [9][8]. Symbotic (SYM) - SYM has a substantial backlog of $22.5 billion, providing strong revenue visibility and supporting year-over-year growth [12]. - The company is positioned for margin expansion due to a steady deployment of systems and strong free cash flow generation [13]. - However, SYM's heavy reliance on Walmart poses a risk, as the retailer constitutes a significant portion of its revenue [13]. - SYM has a mixed earnings surprise history, beating estimates in two of the past four quarters with an average beat of 69.3% [15]. Market Comparison - Over the past six months, SYM's shares have increased in double digits, but COHR's shares have risen over 100%, indicating superior performance [16]. - From a valuation perspective, COHR has a forward price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 4.18, while SYM's is significantly higher at 13.93, suggesting COHR is more attractive [19]. Conclusion - COHR's strong financial performance and operational efficiency position it favorably for growth, while SYM faces challenges related to customer concentration and valuation concerns [20][21]. - Given the current outlook, COHR is seen as the stronger investment opportunity compared to SYM [21].

Key Takeaways Coherent stock has jumped 111.7% in six months, far outpacing industry and broader market gains.COHR is seeing strong demand for 800G, 1.6T and InP products as AI datacenter investments accelerate.COHR boasts strong liquidity and growth outlook, but trades at valuation premiums and faces SiC competition.Coherent Corp.'s (COHR) stock price has increased a whopping 111.7% in the past six months, outperforming the industry's 13.8% growth and the Zacks S&P 500 Composite’s 13.6% rise.6-Month Share ...

Key Takeaways COHR's AI datacenter business grew 23% y/y in the first quarter of fiscal 2026.Coherent saw strong direct bookings as 800G adoption broadened and 1.6T transceivers were adopted rapidly.COHR began 6-inch InP production in Jarfalla, citing higher yields critical for next-gen AI infrastructure.Coherent Corp.’s (COHR) ability to capture the growing AI markets is at the apex of its growth strategy. The company’s keen interest in AI and datacom is yielding results, as evidenced by a 23% year-over-ye ...

Core Insights - Coherent Corp. (COHR) is strategically positioned to benefit from the expanding AI and high-performance computing markets, with a notable shift towards AI and datacom yielding positive results [1][2]. Financial Performance - In fiscal 2025, COHR achieved record revenues of $5.8 billion, reflecting a 23% increase year-over-year, driven by a 61% surge in data center revenues [2][8]. - The company experienced a 358-basis-point expansion in non-GAAP gross margin, indicating the high-value nature of its AI-centric products [2]. Product Development - COHR has initiated revenue shipments of its 1.6T transceivers, essential for upcoming high-speed AI interconnects, showcasing the potential of its future product pipeline [3]. - The Optical Circuit Switch platform is also generating revenues, contributing to the company's market position [4]. Market Trends - The demand for data centers is expected to grow significantly, with McKinsey projecting an annual capacity increase of 19-22% from 2023 to 2030, presenting substantial opportunities for COHR [5]. Stock Performance and Valuation - COHR's stock increased by 10.4% over the past three months, slightly underperforming the industry average of 12.3% [6]. - The company trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 18.15X, significantly lower than the industry average of 86.56X, indicating a favorable valuation [10]. Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for COHR's earnings has risen by 3.9% and 11.6% for 2025 and 2026, respectively, over the past 60 days [13].

Core Insights - Symbotic (SYM) and Coherent Corp. (COHR) are prominent players in the Zacks Technology Services industry, with SYM focusing on AI-enabled robotics for supply chain operations and COHR on advanced optical and semiconductor technologies [1][2] Group 1: Symbotic (SYM) - SYM has a significant backlog of $22.4 billion, positioning it for substantial revenue generation in the near future [5] - The company reported a 26% year-over-year revenue increase, with expectations of revenues between $590 million and $610 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 [6] - SYM's partnership with Walmart is crucial, contributing significantly to its revenues, but poses customer concentration risks [8] - Despite revenue growth, SYM has a history of negative earnings surprises, with an average negative surprise of 78.3% over the last four quarters [7] Group 2: Coherent Corp. (COHR) - COHR experienced a 23% revenue increase in fiscal 2025, driven by AI datacenter demand and telecom recovery [9] - The company is advancing its product offerings, including new 1.6T transceivers, which are expected to contribute positively to revenues in fiscal 2026 [10] - COHR has consistently outperformed earnings estimates, with an average beat of 13% over the past four quarters [11] - COHR's valuation is more attractive compared to SYM, trading at a forward price-to-sales multiple of 2.1 versus SYM's 10.33 [14] Group 3: Market Performance and Valuation - Over the past month, SYM shares have declined over 5%, while COHR shares have seen a more significant decline [12] - Concerns regarding COHR's market share in datacom offerings have contributed to its stock performance [12] - COHR's attractive valuation and strong product portfolio make it a more appealing investment compared to SYM [16]

Core Insights - Coherent Corp.'s stock price has increased by 13.9% over the past three months, outperforming the industry average of 12% and the Zacks S&P 500 Composite's growth of 9.3% [1][7] - The company reported a significant revenue increase of 51% for fiscal 2025, primarily driven by a 61% surge in the data center market [5][7] - Coherent Corp. is developing new products, including 1.6T and 3.2T transceivers, and has increased its indium phosphide capacity by three times year-over-year to meet rising demand [6][8] Financial Performance - In the year-to-date period, Coherent Corp. experienced a 4.5% decline, contrasting with Microvast's 28% rise and Vimeo's 35.6% decline [4] - The company has a forward P/E ratio of 19.02, which is lower than the industry average of 25.94, and an EV-to-EBITDA ratio of 11.98 compared to the industry's 36.38 [12] - Coherent Corp. has a return on equity (ROE) of 12.2%, significantly higher than the industry's 6%, and a return on invested capital (ROIC) of 6.1%, compared to the industry's -9.1% [15] Market Growth and Future Prospects - The company expects fiscal 2026 revenues to reach $6.7 billion, indicating a year-over-year growth of 9.7%, with further growth of 13.8% anticipated for fiscal 2027 [20] - Analysts have revised EPS estimates upward for both fiscal 2026 and 2027, reflecting confidence in the company's performance [21] - Coherent Corp. has secured a multi-year agreement with Apple for new Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser products, expected to contribute to revenue in the second half of 2026 [10] Product Development and Strategic Initiatives - The company began initial revenue shipments of its Optical Circuit Switch (OCS) in fiscal 2025, with the global OCS market projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.6% from 2025 to 2030 [9] - Revenue from communications increased by 42% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, driven by demand for high-capacity coherent transceivers [11] - Coherent Corp. is taking significant steps in co-packaged optics-related technologies, which are expected to provide cost and volume advantages [8]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Fourth quarter revenue reached $910 million, exceeding guidance and up more than 20% year-over-year and 4% sequentially [5][12] - Full fiscal year 2025 revenue was a record $3.4 billion, representing a 19% increase from the prior year [6][18] - Non-GAAP EPS for Q4 was $2.65, a new quarterly record, while full year non-GAAP EPS hit $10.17 [6][12] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Optical Communications revenue was $689 million in Q4, up 15% year-over-year and 5% sequentially [13] - Telecom revenue reached $412 million, a 46% increase from a year ago and 1% from Q3, driven by data center interconnect (DCI) products [9][13] - DCI revenue was reported for the first time at $107 million, representing 12% of overall revenue [13] - Datacom revenue was $277 million, down 12% year-over-year but up 10% sequentially [14] - Non-optical communications revenue was $221 million, a 41% increase year-over-year [16] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Telecom business momentum is expected to continue into Q1, particularly with the ramp-up of a next-generation system program [9][21] - Datacom demand is anticipated to surge, although temporary component supply challenges are being faced [10][21] - Automotive revenue was $128 million, showing a slight decline but better than expected [16] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is evaluating options to accelerate the completion of Building 10 to meet increasing customer demand [8][19] - A significant partnership with Amazon Web Services is expected to be a meaningful revenue driver in fiscal year 2026 [6][8] - The introduction of a new revenue category for high-performance computing (HPC) is planned for Q1 [21][22] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism for fiscal year 2026, citing strong demand across multiple growth drivers [11][38] - Temporary supply constraints are expected to impact Datacom revenue in Q1, but these issues are anticipated to be short-lived [21][56] - The company remains confident in maintaining excellent execution while continuing to grow revenue and earnings [11][21] Other Important Information - The company returned $126 million to shareholders through a buyback program, with continued repurchases expected [8][20] - The effective GAAP tax rate was 6.5% for the quarter [18] Q&A Session Summary Question: Clarification on Datacom revenue dip - Management clarified that the expected dip in Datacom revenue for Q1 does not include contributions from the new HPC segment, which will be reported separately [26][27] Question: Future hyperscaler transceiver opportunities - Management indicated that future opportunities will predominantly focus on 1.6 terabit speeds, while 800 gig opportunities will still be pursued [28][30] Question: Growth prospects for fiscal year 2026 - Management remains optimistic about growth prospects, citing strong demand trends and new customer wins [36][39] Question: Impact of component shortages on Datacom - Management acknowledged that component shortages are significant enough to impact Datacom revenue but are expected to be temporary [56][105] Question: Amazon business potential - Management believes the Amazon PCB business could represent a significant opportunity, with revenue expected to ramp in fiscal Q1 [83][84]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Full year revenue for fiscal 2025 increased by approximately 23% year over year to a record $5,810,000,000, driven by strong growth in data center and communications business [6][27] - Q4 revenue was a record $1,530,000,000, up 2% sequentially and 16% year over year [27] - Non-GAAP EPS for Q4 approximately doubled year over year to $1 per share, while full year non-GAAP EPS was $3.53, representing a 191% year over year growth [6][30] - Non-GAAP gross margin for Q4 was 30%, down 43 basis points sequentially but up 220 basis points year over year; full year gross margin was 37.9%, up 358 basis points from 2024 [27][28] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Data center and communications revenue grew by 51% in fiscal 2025, with Q4 revenue increasing 39% year over year [9] - Communications revenue increased 23% for fiscal 2025, with Q4 growth of 42% year over year [15] - Industrial related markets saw a revenue decrease of 2% for the year, with Q4 revenue down 8% year over year [17] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Strong growth in AI data centers and communications was noted, with full year data center revenue increasing by 61% [9] - Initial revenue shipments of new 1.6T transceivers began in Q4, with expectations for ramping volumes throughout the calendar year [10] - The company expects revenue from a new multiyear agreement with Apple for VCSEL products to begin in 2026 [13] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on photonics technology, which is critical for applications in AI data centers, communications, and industrial applications [8] - A strategic decision was made to sell the Aerospace and Defense business for $400,000,000 to streamline the portfolio and concentrate investments in high-growth areas [19][32] - The company plans to use proceeds from the sale to pay down debt, which is expected to be accretive to EPS [30] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the strong demand signals for data center and communications, expecting sequential growth in the upcoming quarter [40] - The company views its U.S. manufacturing footprint as a competitive advantage, particularly in light of recent tariff policies [21][22] - Management remains optimistic about achieving long-term financial targets and gross margin improvements, aiming for greater than 42% gross margin in the future [90] Other Important Information - The company has tripled its indium phosphide capacity year over year and is ramping production at its new six-inch indium phosphide line in Sherman, Texas [12] - The company is experiencing strong bookings and demand forecasts across data center customers, particularly for transceivers [10] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is the growth outlook for the data center business in fiscal 2026? - Management noted strong demand signals and expects data center and communications to be up sequentially, driven by 800 gig and 1.6T transceivers [40][41] Question: Can you provide an update on the six-inch indium phosphide platform? - Production began in August, with expectations for increased capacity and lower costs as the ramp progresses [46][47] Question: What product categories might be down sequentially in the guidance? - Industrial markets are expected to be flat to down sequentially, with a cautious view due to macroeconomic factors [58] Question: How much incremental revenue is expected from the Apple relationship? - Revenue from the expanded partnership is expected to kick in during the second half of the next calendar year [51][66] Question: What are the competitive advantages of the OCS technology? - The OCS technology is based on digital liquid crystal, offering higher reliability and performance compared to traditional mechanical solutions [74][76] Question: What is the outlook for gross margins? - Management expects gross margins to benefit from the Apple arrangement and ongoing gross margin expansion initiatives [90]

Company Overview - Coherent Corp. (COHR) is set to report its third-quarter fiscal 2025 results on May 7, with revenue expectations of $1.4 billion, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 19.1% and earnings per share (EPS) estimated at 86 cents, indicating a 62.3% increase from the previous year [1] - The company has a strong earnings surprise history, having surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the last four quarters with an average surprise of 20.3% [2] Earnings Estimates - Current earnings estimates for Q1 and Q2 are 0.86 and 0.92 respectively, with full-year estimates of 3.47 and 4.28 [2] - There have been no recent changes in analyst estimates, with a slight downward revision of -0.29% for F1 and -0.70% for F2 [2] Market Performance - COHR shares have increased by 23.7% over the past year, outperforming its industry growth of 24.6% and the Zacks S&P 500 composite's 10% growth [6] - The stock is currently trading at a trailing 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 2.67X, which is higher than the industry average of 1.76X and Alithya Group's 1.28X, but lower than AirJoule Technologies' 7.83X [9] Industry Insights - The telecom segment is expected to drive revenue growth, with a reported 11% year-over-year increase in Q2 fiscal 2025, attributed to strong demand for new products like 100G, 400G, and 800ZR/ZR+ coherent transceivers [5] - The rise in data traffic due to AI workloads is anticipated to boost investments in higher-capacity interconnects, benefiting Coherent's optical transport networks [10] Future Outlook - Management projects that 1.6T transceivers will be a key contributor to revenue in 2025, ensuring growth beyond the current 800G cycle [12] - The demand for high-speed optical transceivers is expected to increase as hyperscalers expand their AI training and inference workloads [11] Investment Considerations - Despite the positive outlook, potential revenue growth may be hindered by delayed AI infrastructure spending and geopolitical risks, particularly between the U.S. and China [13] - The company is viewed as fundamentally strong but carries a premium valuation, suggesting that investors may benefit from holding the stock while waiting for a more favorable entry point [15]