Coherent Corp. (COHR Quick QuoteCOHR - Free Report) outlined an accelerated growth outlook during its first-quarter fiscal 2027 earnings call, supported by expanding AI infrastructure demand, new optical networking products and increased manufacturing capacity.

Management highlighted substantial customer commitments, raised its long-term profitability target and detailed investments supporting the transition from copper to optical connectivity. Analysts concentrated on demand visibility, PhotonLink expansion, manufacturing economics and the sustainability of margins.

Coherent’s earnings per share of $2.09 beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2 in the quarter. Revenues of $2.37 billion missed the consensus mark of $2.32 billion.

Coherent Corp. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Coherent Corp. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Coherent Corp. Quote

COHR Projects Accelerating Revenue Growth

Chief executive officer James Anderson expects fiscal 2027 pro forma revenue growth to exceed 60%, supported by strong bookings and multiyear customer agreements.

Management anticipates its first $3 billion revenue quarter by the end of fiscal 2027 and the first $4 billion quarter in fiscal 2028.

Chief financial officer Sherri Luther projected second-quarter fiscal 2027 revenues of $2.55-$2.75 billion and non-GAAP EPS of $2.28-$2.48. The outlook includes a non-GAAP gross margin range of 40-42%.

Coherent Positions PhotonLink for Significant Expansion

Anderson identified PhotonLink, the company's integrated optics platform, as a major opportunity within AI data center infrastructure.

Coherent signed a new five-year agreement worth approximately $20 billion with a major AI customer, with revenues expected to begin ramping in early calendar 2028. The agreement complements its previously announced NVIDIA partnership.

Responding to a JPMorgan analyst, Anderson outlined expectations for PhotonLink quarterly revenues to exceed $100 million in the March quarter and $250 million before the end of calendar 2027. He emphasized that demand will expand as optical connectivity penetrates scale-up networks.

COHR Expands Manufacturing to Support Customer Demand

Management emphasized indium phosphide manufacturing expansion as essential to supporting optical transceivers and integrated optics products.

Anderson reported that internal indium phosphide output capacity doubled year over year, reaching the milestone one quarter ahead of schedule. Coherent expects capacity to more than double again by the end of calendar 2027.

Addressing a Morgan Stanley analyst, Anderson said the company has secured necessary substrates through multiple suppliers. Management also highlighted increasing internal component sourcing as a key opportunity for reducing production costs and improving profitability.

Coherent Raises Long-Term Margin Expectations

Luther raised the company's profitability objective, targeting its first quarter with non-GAAP gross margin exceeding 45% before the end of calendar 2028.

First-quarter non-GAAP gross margin reached 40.6%, improving 184 basis points year over year. Non-GAAP operating margin expanded to 23.2% from 19.5% in the prior-year quarter.

Responding to analysts from Wolfe Research and StoneX Financial, management identified higher-margin product introductions, manufacturing efficiencies and pricing optimization as primary expansion drivers. Anderson clarified that the target does not depend on restricting transceiver growth.

COHR Sees Optical Interconnect Demand Broadening

Datacenter & Communications revenues increased 79% year over year, representing approximately 82% of total quarterly revenues.

Anderson highlighted scale-across datacenter interconnect revenues exceeding $200 million, with quarterly revenues expected to approximately double from that level by the end of calendar 2027.

Responding to a Barclays analyst, Anderson emphasized strong visibility from customer bookings extending into calendar 2028. Additional long-term agreements reinforce management's confidence in demand, while expanding manufacturing capacity remains central to execution.

Coherent Prioritizes Capacity and Operating Leverage

Coherent increased quarterly capital expenditures to $776 million from $556 million sequentially, directing investment primarily toward Datacenter & Communications capacity.

Luther emphasized disciplined spending alongside operating leverage, with non-GAAP operating expenses declining to 17.4% of revenues from 19.2% a year earlier.

Management maintained a confident outlook while emphasizing manufacturing execution, customer commitments and capacity utilization. Anderson also identified semiconductor equipment demand as a driver supporting an expected return to growth in the Industrial segment.

What COHR's Zacks Rank and Style Scores Indicate

COHR currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), reflecting a favorable near-term earnings estimate revision outlook. Its Momentum Score of A indicates strong price momentum characteristics, complementing the positive ranking. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

However, its Value Score and VGM Score of C indicate middle-range characteristics, while the Growth Score of D reflects weaker growth-style attributes under the Zacks methodology. The combination presents favorable momentum and earnings revision signals alongside less compelling broader style characteristics. The Zacks Rank can change as analysts revise earnings estimates following the latest quarterly results.