New York, March 3, 2026, 09:12 (ET) — Premarket
Viavi Solutions Inc shares were little changed in premarket trading on Tuesday, after a near 19% surge in the prior session that lifted the stock to $35.35. The move followed a Needham price-target hike and fresh company updates tied to data-center and next-generation wireless testing. 1
The jump matters because Viavi sits in a crowded “picks-and-shovels” trade around faster data-center links and new network buildouts. When a mid-cap name in test and measurement moves that quickly, it often pulls more attention into the broader optical and networking supply chain.
Needham raised its price target on Viavi to $36 from $28 and kept a Buy rating after talks with management, TheFly reported. The note pointed to demand tied to the “Data Center ecosystem” and aerospace and defense sales, with added upside from recent acquisitions. 2
The firm held in-person investor meetings with Viavi CEO Oleg Khaykin, CFO Ilan Daskal and investor relations head Vibhuti Nayar on Feb. 27, according to an Investing.com report on the note. Needham flagged what it called record “optical spend intensity and speed upgrades” driven by data-center investment. 3
Viavi on Monday also pointed to a joint study with NTT DOCOMO demonstrating AI-driven radio access network (RAN) control for 6G — RAN is the part of a mobile network that connects phones and devices to the core. The company said the approach used a “digital twin” (a software model of a real network) and improved throughput by up to 20% by cutting control overhead; “Intelligent technologies such as tailored network digital twins and AI-powered simulators … enable highly efficient network control,” Ian Langley, a senior vice president at Viavi, said. DOCOMO’s Hiroyuki Oto said the cooperation “will contribute to the realization of 6G technologies.” 4
On Tuesday, Viavi said it will showcase technologies for validating “next generation AI fabrics” — the high-speed networks that tie together AI servers — at Optical Fiber Communication (OFC) 2026 in Los Angeles from March 17-19. The company said its demonstrations will include 1.6T high-speed Ethernet, silicon photonics, PCIe over optics and fiber sensing, and it plans to unveil new inspection and test platforms aimed at hyperscale data centers. 5
Some investors were also digesting insider sales disclosed after Monday’s rally. Filings showed general counsel Kevin Christopher Siebert sold 7,264 shares on March 2 at $34.78, while executive vice president Paul McNab sold 3,551 shares at $32.89. 6
The Needham call leans into the same demand story that has boosted test-and-measurement and optical gear suppliers more broadly. Viavi competes across parts of that market with companies such as Keysight Technologies and Japan’s Anritsu, where customers tend to spend in bursts as standards and link speeds change.
But sharp one-day gains can cut both ways. If orders tied to data-center upgrades cool, or if the promised demos at industry events fail to translate into bookings, momentum buyers can exit fast — especially with insider selling in the background.
For now, traders will watch whether Viavi holds Monday’s level into the opening bell and whether follow-on analyst notes chase the move. The next clear catalyst on the calendar is OFC 2026 on March 17-19, where the company plans to put its 1.6T Ethernet and AI-fabric testing pitch in front of network and data-center buyers.
