Coherent Corp. (COHR) Stock Price & How to Invest
Last updated July 2026
Short answer
Coherent Corp (COHR) is a photonics and optical-networking company whose AI-datacenter transceiver business has become one of the fastest-growing stories in the sector, so investing in it is largely a bet on continued hyperscaler optics spending. It is a volatile, high-multiple large cap rather than a steady value name.
COHR stock price
As of 2026-08-26, Coherent Corp. (COHR) last closed at $290.23, up 216.9% over the past year. Over the past 52 weeks it has traded between $87.80 and $426.89.
Prices are daily closing prices from Yahoo Finance and may be delayed. For the live quote, check your broker or Coherent Corp.'s investor relations page. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.
What does Coherent Corp. (COHR) do?
Coherent Corp, formerly II-VI and now trading as COHR on the NYSE, makes lasers, optical components, and high-speed transceivers used in AI data centers, telecom networks, industrial manufacturing, and semiconductors. Its largest and fastest-growing segment is Datacenter & Communications, which supplies the 800G and emerging 1.6T optical transceivers that connect GPUs and switches inside AI clusters, alongside a smaller Industrial segment covering lasers and materials.
The investment picture centers on AI infrastructure. Revenue has accelerated sharply as hyperscalers buy optics to scale AI networks, and management has aggressively cut debt while receiving a large equity investment from NVIDIA. The trade-off is valuation and cyclicality: the stock carries a high earnings multiple, its growth is concentrated in a handful of large customers, and photonics has historically been a boom-and-bust industry.
What's driving Coherent Corp. (COHR)?
1. AI datacom transceiver demand
Coherent's Datacenter & Communications segment reached roughly $1.36 billion in the March 2026 quarter, about 75% of total revenue, driven by 800G optics for AI clusters. Management has said customer orders now extend into calendar 2028 and long-term agreements reach the end of the decade, pointing to a multi-year demand runway.
2. Transition to 1.6T optics
The industry is moving from 400G and 800G toward 1.6T transceivers, which require advanced 200G-per-lane lasers and components. Coherent's vertical integration in lasers, EMLs, and indium phosphide positions it to participate in this upgrade cycle, though rivals also target the same transition.
3. Deleveraging and margin expansion
Coherent has cut its leverage ratio to about 0.5 times from roughly 2.1 times a year earlier, aided by strong cash flow and a $2 billion equity investment from NVIDIA that lifted cash near $3 billion. Non-GAAP gross margin has expanded toward the high 30s, improving the earnings profile as revenue scales.
4. Portfolio focus under new leadership
CEO Jim Anderson has pushed a strategy of sharpening the portfolio, prioritizing the highest-return datacom and telecom businesses while managing the slower-growing Industrial segment. Cost discipline and capital allocation toward AI-linked capacity are central to the plan.
What are the risks to Coherent Corp. (COHR)?
COHR trades at a high earnings multiple, so any slowdown in AI capital spending or a demand air pocket could hit the stock hard. Revenue is concentrated among a small number of hyperscaler and networking customers, which creates order-timing and pricing risk. The optical components industry is cyclical and competitive, with pricing pressure from Chinese module makers and component rivals. The Industrial segment has been soft, and the company remains sensitive to macro conditions and semiconductor capital cycles. Execution on the 1.6T ramp and capacity expansion is not guaranteed.
What is the Coherent Corp. (COHR) forecast?
22 analysts publish price targets on COHR, averaging $391.45 against a $262.89 price as of August 2026, or +48.9%. The published targets run from $230.00 to $465.00, a moderate spread, and the ratings split 17 buy, 5 hold, 0 sell. Over the last six months there have been 8 raises and 0 cuts among the published actions. A price target is what an analyst published on a date, not a prediction, and sell-side ratings skew positive across the whole market.
Read the full COHR forecast and price target for the target table, the recent rating actions by firm, and how the consensus has shifted.
Is COHR a buy or a sell?
We give no verdict on Coherent Corp.. Both cases are real, which is why the question is contested at all, so here is the strongest version of each.
The case for buying. AI datacom transceiver demand. Coherent's Datacenter & Communications segment reached roughly $1.36 billion in the March 2026 quarter, about 75% of total revenue, driven by 800G optics for AI clusters. The most optimistic published target, $465.00, assumes this works close to its best case.
The case against. COHR trades at a high earnings multiple, so any slowdown in AI capital spending or a demand air pocket could hit the stock hard. The most pessimistic target, $230.00, is roughly what COHR is worth if this bites instead.
Read the full bull and bear case on COHR, including what would have to change to break either one. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
How is Coherent Corp. (COHR) valued? (approximate, July 2026)
A simple financial snapshot. These are approximations and refresh quarterly; for current figures see Coherent Corp.'s investor relations page or your broker.
- Revenue (TTM): ~$6.3B
- Q3 FY2026 revenue: ~$1.81B (up ~21% YoY)
- Q3 FY2026 non-GAAP EPS: ~$1.41
- Q4 FY2026 revenue guidance: ~$1.91B to $2.05B
- Market cap: ~$70B
- Forward P/E: ~49x
Coherent's revenue has accelerated on AI datacenter optics demand, with the Datacenter & Communications segment making up about three quarters of sales. The stock carries a high trailing multiple that reflects rapid earnings growth expectations, so the valuation depends heavily on that growth continuing. Figures are approximate and shift with each quarterly report and market moves.
Which ETFs hold Coherent Corp. (COHR)?
If you want COHR exposure as part of a larger bundle rather than directly, these ETFs hold it meaningfully. Weights are approximate and refresh quarterly.
Who competes with Coherent Corp. (COHR)?
Optical component and module makers
Lumentum, InnoLight, and Eoptolink compete directly in transceivers and lasers for AI datacenters, while Fabrinet serves as a major contract manufacturer. These are Coherent's closest rivals in the datacom optics that drive its growth.
Switch silicon and DSP suppliers
Broadcom and Marvell sit adjacent in the optical chain, supplying the DSPs and switch silicon that pair with transceivers. Coherent sources DSPs from them, making them both suppliers and competitive influences on module economics.
Industrial laser and photonics firms
In its Industrial segment, Coherent competes with laser and photonics companies such as IPG Photonics and MKS Instruments across materials processing, semiconductor, and instrumentation markets.
What stocks are similar to Coherent Corp. (COHR)?
Other names that sit close to COHR: same theme, named as a direct competitor, or held beside it in the same funds. Each entry says which. Worth a look if you are thinking about diversification within a thesis rather than concentration on one ticker.
How to invest in Coherent Corp. (COHR)
There are three common ways to get COHR exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) directly at any major broker. Hold an ETF that includes it (QTUM, SCHM, FNDA), which spreads the position across many companies. Or build it into a focused thematic portfolio, so COHR sits alongside other stocks that express the same thesis.
Walnut takes the portfolio route. Describe a thesis where COHR fits (for example “AI infrastructure” or “dividend-growth large-caps”) and the AI proposes 5 to 6 constituents with target weights. You review the plan and fund it through your own broker when you're ready.
New to this? Start with how to invest in stocks, see how to analyze a stock with AI, or compare the best AI stock analyzers.
The bottom line on Coherent Corp. (COHR)
COHR is a photonics leader riding AI datacom demand, with strong growth and a rich valuation that leaves little room for disappointment.
More on Coherent Corp. (COHR)
Whether COHR is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, what would have to go right, and the risks in is COHR a buy or a sell?, and where the stock could go from here in the COHR stock forecast.
For income investors, whether COHR pays a dividend and how the payout looks is covered in does COHR pay a dividend? And to weigh COHR against a peer, read the full side-by-side comparisons: COHR vs LITE and COHR vs FN.
Wondering how COHR fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in Coherent Corp. with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how COHR fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What does Coherent Corp (COHR) do?
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Coherent makes lasers, optical components, and high-speed transceivers. Its largest business supplies the optics that connect chips inside AI data centers, and it also serves telecom, industrial manufacturing, and semiconductor markets.
Is COHR the same company as II-VI?
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Yes. The company was known as II-VI Incorporated and rebranded to Coherent Corp after acquiring the original Coherent laser company. It trades on the NYSE under the ticker COHR.
Why has COHR stock risen so much?
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The main driver is surging demand for AI datacenter optics, especially 800G transceivers used to network GPUs. Rapid revenue growth, margin gains, aggressive debt reduction, and an equity investment from NVIDIA have all contributed.
How does COHR make most of its money?
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Its Datacenter & Communications segment generates roughly three quarters of revenue, driven by optical transceivers and components for AI and telecom networks. A smaller Industrial segment covers lasers and materials.
Who are Coherent's main competitors?
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In datacom optics it competes with Lumentum, InnoLight, Eoptolink, and Fabrinet, while Broadcom and Marvell supply adjacent switch silicon and DSPs. In lasers it competes with firms like IPG Photonics and MKS Instruments.
What are the biggest risks for COHR?
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Key risks include a high valuation, heavy reliance on a few large AI and networking customers, the cyclical and competitive nature of optics, pricing pressure from Chinese module makers, and softness in its Industrial segment.
Does COHR pay a dividend?
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Coherent has historically focused on reinvestment and debt reduction rather than a large dividend. Investors should check current filings for the latest capital-return policy, as it can change over time.
How can I invest in COHR through Walnut?
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In Walnut you can add COHR to a thematic basket, for example an AI infrastructure or photonics theme, set target weights alongside other holdings, connect your brokerage, and place orders that move the basket toward those targets. Walnut is not an investment adviser and does not tell you whether to buy or sell.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Financial figures on this page are approximations; always verify current numbers with Coherent Corp.'s investor relations page or your broker before making investment decisions.