Ciena Corporation (NYSE:CIEN) jumped 8.2% in premarket trading on Thursday after delivering fiscal fourth-quarter results that comfortably topped Wall Street expectations, supported by accelerating demand from cloud customers and expanding opportunities tied to AI infrastructure.
For the quarter ended November 1, the networking equipment maker posted adjusted earnings of $0.91 per share, surpassing analyst expectations of $0.77. Revenue rose 20% year-over-year to $1.35 billion, exceeding the $1.29 billion consensus. Growth was led by a strong performance in Ciena’s optical networking unit, where revenue climbed to $929.2 million from $779.6 million a year earlier.
“Our record fiscal fourth quarter and full-year performance reinforces our position as the global leader in high-speed connectivity with an expanding role in the AI ecosystem,” said Gary Smith, president and CEO of Ciena.
The company also issued upbeat guidance. For the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Ciena expects revenue between $1.35 billion and $1.43 billion—well above estimates of $1.25 billion. Full-year fiscal 2026 revenue is projected at $5.7 billion to $6.1 billion, exceeding analysts’ forecasts of $5.53 billion.
“Our results reflect Ciena’s market momentum within a strong demand environment and our commitment to financial discipline,” said Marc Graff, CFO of Ciena. “With our growing operating leverage and strong cash generation and balance sheet, we are well-positioned to deliver value for our customers and shareholders in 2026.”
For fiscal 2025, Ciena generated $4.77 billion in revenue, up 19% from $4.01 billion the previous year, and reported adjusted earnings of $2.64 per share compared with $1.82 in fiscal 2024.