New York, February 28, 2026, 11:53 ET — Market closed.
- Coherent finished Friday’s session at $258.93 a share.
- The company plans to have both its CEO and CFO speak at Morgan Stanley’s TMT conference set for March 3.
- Investors want new clues on both demand for datacenter optics and upcoming capacity plans.
Coherent Corp (COHR) climbed 3.5% on Friday, finishing the session at $258.93. The photonics company is once again drawing attention as next week’s trading approaches. 1
U.S. markets are closed for the weekend, and attention now turns to whether management’s remarks will sustain the rally. Coherent, meanwhile, stands out as a key indicator for components driving high-speed connectivity in today’s datacenters.
Recent sessions have seen the stock swing sharply. On Feb. 26, it dropped 6.6%, only to recover on Feb. 27, with shares moving between $241.71 and $260.85 during the day, Yahoo Finance data show. 2
Coherent plans to have CEO Jim Anderson and CFO Sherri Luther participate in a live Q&A “fireside chat” at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, happening March 3 in San Francisco. Their session is set for 2:35 p.m. PST. Investors can catch the audio webcast on the company’s investor relations site. 3
Coherent makes lasers, transceivers, and a range of optical and optoelectronic products, plus engineered materials, for both communications and industrial customers, according to a company filing. 4
Coherent posted second-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue of $1.69 billion and GAAP earnings of $0.76 per share in its latest update on Feb. 4. Non-GAAP earnings, which strip out certain items, came in at $1.29. “Strong demand” in the datacenter and communications segment powered the numbers, according to Anderson. Luther noted the company is stepping up capital investment to boost capacity. 5
Next week, the focus lands on demand visibility, how fast new capacity is coming online, and the implications for margins. With expectations high, even a subtle change in tone can send the stock moving.
It’s been an uneasy stretch. Global stocks slipped on Friday, with investors eyeing stretched valuations and the specter of AI-fueled upheaval, according to a Reuters market wrap. Optical suppliers have felt the pressure too. 6
The setup, though, isn’t one-way traffic. If there’s even a whiff of large clients pulling back on orders—or if bringing on new capacity starts dragging out—shares that have sprinted higher could just as quickly take a hit.
March 3 stands out as the next obvious catalyst. On top of that, traders are eyeing the week’s AI-focused earnings — Broadcom is on the list — to gauge networking demand and signs of spending. 7
