Core Insights - Coherent Corp. (COHR) is expected to report second-quarter fiscal 2026 results on February 4, with earnings estimated at $1.22 per share, indicating a 28.4% growth year-over-year, and revenues projected at $1.6 billion, reflecting a 13.9% increase [1][8] Earnings Estimates - Over the past 60 days, two EPS estimates for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 have been revised upward, while one was revised downward, resulting in a 1.7% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate to $1.22, indicating analysts' growing confidence [2] - Coherent has consistently surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the last four quarters, achieving an average surprise of 0.7% [3] Growth Drivers - The company is experiencing high demand for its products, particularly 1.6T transceivers, which is expected to continue into the second quarter of fiscal 2026 [5][8] - Increased demand for AI datacenters has led Coherent to ramp up its 6-inch Indium Phosphide (InP) production, with the global AI datacenter market projected to grow at a CAGR of 27.5% through 2035, suggesting strong InP sales for COHR [6] - Management has identified a $2 billion market opportunity in Optical Circuit Switch (OCS), with expectations of capturing a larger share due to rising AI demand [7] Stock Performance - COHR shares have surged 142.5% over the past year, outperforming the industry growth of 7% and the Zacks S&P 500 composite's 19.6% rise [9] - In the last six months, COHR has increased by 98.8%, again surpassing the industry and S&P 500 growth rates [12] - The current trailing P/E ratio for COHR is 36.11X, significantly higher than the industry average of 23.55X, indicating a premium valuation [12][20] Financial Health - Coherent reported a 51% year-over-year increase in the data center and communications market for fiscal 2025, with a 61% rise in the data center business alone [16] - The company has a strong balance sheet with $875 million in cash reserves and only $48 million in debt, providing a safety net and flexibility for investments [17] - The current ratio stands at 2.33, well above the industry average of 1.58, indicating strong liquidity [18] Competitive Landscape - Coherent faces significant competition from Wolfspeed and ON Semiconductor in the Silicon Carbide (SiC) sector, which may impact its growth and profitability [19] - Despite a strong presence in the SiC market, COHR experienced a 6% year-over-year decline in end-market demand in its Material segment's revenues for fiscal 2025 [19]

Industry Insights - The AI supercycle is continuing to thrive, leading to an increased demand for data center infrastructure upgrades [1] - There is a notable transition occurring from 800G to 1.6T transceivers, indicating a significant technological advancement in the industry [1] Investment Opportunities - The current market conditions present an ideal opportunity for investment in companies involved in data center infrastructure and transceiver technology [1]

Core Insights - Coherent Corp. (COHR) and Arm Holdings plc (ARM) are key players in the high-growth tech infrastructure sector, with Coherent focusing on optical materials and semiconductors, while Arm specializes in semiconductor and software design [1] Group 1: Coherent Corp. (COHR) - Coherent reported a 17.3% year-over-year increase in revenues for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, driven by strong demand in the AI sector [2] - The company achieved a 1,081-basis-point year-over-year expansion in operating margin, indicating effective scalability essential for growth in the AI market [2] - Coherent's diverse product pipeline, including the rapid adoption of 800G transceivers, positions it well to meet the increasing demand for AI [3] - The company has a strong balance sheet with $875 million in cash reserves and only $48 million in debt, providing flexibility for investments [4] - Despite its growth trajectory, Coherent faces competitive pressure in the Silicon Carbide (SiC) market from companies like Wolfspeed and ON Semiconductor [5] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for COHR indicates a 15.1% growth in sales and a 44.5% increase in EPS for fiscal 2026 [10] Group 2: Arm Holdings plc (ARM) - Arm Holdings benefits from a dual-sided network effect that connects software creators and hardware manufacturers, enhancing its position in mobile technology [6] - The company is recognized as a significant player in the AI and IoT sectors, with major clients like Apple, Qualcomm, and Samsung relying on its energy-efficient architecture [7] - However, ARM faces risks in China as local companies shift towards RISC-V, which could impact its growth in that market [8] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ARM shows a 21.5% growth in sales and a 5.5% increase in EPS for fiscal 2026 [11] - ARM is trading at a forward P/E ratio of 52.89, significantly higher than Coherent's 34.72, indicating a valuation gap [12] Group 3: Investment Recommendation - Coherent is recommended for portfolio addition due to its higher EPS growth outlook, attractive valuation, and robust liquidity position, despite ARM's dominance in mobile architecture [14]

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].

Core Insights - Coherent Corp.'s stock price has surged 111.7% over the past six months, significantly outperforming the industry growth of 13.8% and the Zacks S&P 500 Composite's increase of 13.6% [1][9]. Product Demand and Market Opportunities - Coherent's products, particularly 800G and 1.6T transceivers, are experiencing high demand, with expectations for exponential growth in 2026 due to direct bookings [5]. - The company's Indium Phosphide (InP) products have shown improved yields, and production is set to ramp up in Jarfalla, Sweden, to meet the rising demand for AI datacenters [6]. - The Optical Circuit Switch product is projected to add over $2 billion in addressable market opportunity, supported by a global AI market valued at $390.9 billion, expected to grow at a CAGR of 30.6% through 2033 [7]. Financial Position - As of September 2025, Coherent holds $875 million in cash reserves against a debt of $48 million, indicating a strong liquidity position with a current ratio of 2.33, surpassing the industry average of 1.58 [10]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Coherent's revenues for fiscal 2026 is $6.7 billion, reflecting a 15.1% year-over-year increase, with EPS expected to grow by 44.5% [12]. Analyst Confidence - Over the past 60 days, there have been upward revisions in EPS estimates for fiscal 2026 and 2027, with the consensus for fiscal 2026 earnings increasing by 11.1% [13]. Valuation Concerns - Coherent's stock is currently priced at 32.42 times forward 12-month earnings per share, higher than the industry average of 25.32 times, indicating potential overvaluation [14]. Competitive Landscape - Coherent faces significant competition in the Silicon Carbide (SiC) sector from companies like Wolfspeed and ON Semiconductor, which hold substantial market shares [16]. - The company has experienced a 6% year-over-year decline in its Material segment's revenues in fiscal 2025, highlighting the need for strategic investments to maintain competitiveness [17]. Investment Recommendation - Investors are advised to hold Coherent stock due to its strong growth fundamentals, despite concerns over valuation and competition [18].

Core Insights - Coherent Corp.'s growth strategy is heavily focused on capturing opportunities in the expanding AI markets, with a notable 23% year-over-year growth in its AI datacenter business in Q1 of fiscal 2026 [1][8] Group 1: Product Demand and Market Growth - The company has experienced high demand for its products, particularly due to direct bookings, with CEO James Anderson noting the broad adoption of 800G and rapid uptake of 1.6T transceivers [2] - Coherent's Optical Circuit Switch is projected to add over $2 billion in addressable market opportunity in the long term, directly addressing the AI market [4] - The global AI market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 30.6% through 2033, indicating a favorable environment for Coherent's products [4] Group 2: Production and Technological Advancements - Coherent has achieved higher yields in 6-inch Indium Phosphide (InP) production compared to 3-inch, which is critical for next-gen AI infrastructure [3] - The company has commenced 6-inch InP production in Jarfalla, Sweden, to meet rising demand, which is anticipated to increase alongside AI growth [3][8] Group 3: Financial Performance and Valuation - Coherent's stock has increased by 73.7% over the past year, significantly outperforming the industry average growth of 14% [5] - The company trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 32.19, which is higher than its peers LiveRamp and GigaCloud Technology [9] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Coherent's earnings for 2026 and 2027 has risen by 11.4% and 5.1%, respectively, over the last 60 days [12]

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]