greeksoup/ stock research

Coherent Corp.: Q4 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 12 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 5 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 34 percent year over year: Q4 revenue was $2.05 billion, up 34% from a year earlier and 42% on a pro forma basis, and up 13.3% from the third quarter. Source
  • Non-GAAP EPS reached $1.74: Q4 non-GAAP diluted EPS was $1.74, compared with the $1.52 to $1.72 range given in the prior release.
  • Datacenter and Communications led growth: Datacenter & Communications revenue was $1,615.0 million in Q4, up from $1,361.6 million in Q3 and $1,018.3 million a year earlier. Source
  • Non-GAAP gross margin widened 215 bps: Non-GAAP gross margin was 40.2% in Q4, up 215 basis points year over year and 66 basis points from Q3. Fiscal 2026 non-GAAP gross margin was 39.4%. Source
  • Copper-to-optical shift cited as driver: Management said its photonic portfolio and manufacturing scale position it to deliver accelerating growth as AI datacenters move from copper to optical connectivity. Source
  • First-quarter guidance given as ranges: Guidance for the first quarter of fiscal 2027 covers revenue, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP tax rate and non-GAAP EPS, each given as a range. Source
  • Capital spending rose as operating cash fell: Operating cash flow was $79.5 million in fiscal 2026, down from $633.6 million a year earlier. Additions to property, plant and equipment rose to $1,102.9 million from $440.8 million. Source

“Fiscal 2026 was an outstanding year for Coherent, with record revenue, significant margin expansion, and non-GAAP EPS growth that was more than twice the rate of revenue growth,”

Jim Anderson, CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFirst quarter of fiscal 2027between $2.2 billion and $2.4 billionNew
Non-GAAP gross margin percentage SourceFirst quarter of fiscal 2027between 39.5% and 41.5%New
Non-GAAP total operating expenses SourceFirst quarter of fiscal 2027between $400 million and $420 millionNew
Non-GAAP tax rate SourceFirst quarter of fiscal 2027between 18% and 20%New
Non-GAAP diluted EPS SourceFirst quarter of fiscal 2027between $1.85 and $2.05New

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: First-quarter fiscal 2027 guidance added for revenue, non-GAAP gross margin, operating expenses, tax rate and EPS. The prior release gave guidance for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 34 percent year over year: Q4 revenue was $2.05 billion, up 34% from a year earlier and 42% on a pro forma basis, and up 13.3% from the third quarter. Source
  • Full-year revenue up 22.5 percent: Fiscal 2026 revenue was $7,118 million, up 22.5% from $5,810 million in fiscal 2025. Source
  • Q4 revenue at top of prior range: The prior release gave a Q4 revenue range of $1.91 billion to $2.05 billion. Reported Q4 revenue was $2.05 billion.
  • Non-GAAP EPS reached $1.74: Q4 non-GAAP diluted EPS was $1.74, compared with the $1.52 to $1.72 range given in the prior release.
  • GAAP EPS moved to profit: GAAP diluted EPS was $1.19 in Q4, up $2.02 from a loss of $0.83 a year earlier. Fiscal 2026 GAAP diluted EPS was $4.12. Source

Segments and revenue mix

  • Datacenter and Communications led growth: Datacenter & Communications revenue was $1,615.0 million in Q4, up from $1,361.6 million in Q3 and $1,018.3 million a year earlier. Source
  • Industrial revenue declined year over year: Industrial revenue was $430.5 million in Q4, down from $444.0 million in Q3 and $511.1 million a year earlier. Source
  • Fiscal-year segment split: For fiscal 2026, Datacenter & Communications revenue was $5,274.6 million, up from $3,755.2 million, while Industrial revenue was $1,843.6 million, down from $2,054.9 million. Source

“Strong operational execution across our business drove meaningful gross margin expansion and converted our top-line revenue growth into robust GAAP and non-GAAP EPS growth.”

Sherri Luther, CFO

Margins and cost lines

  • Non-GAAP gross margin widened 215 bps: Non-GAAP gross margin was 40.2% in Q4, up 215 basis points year over year and 66 basis points from Q3. Fiscal 2026 non-GAAP gross margin was 39.4%. Source
  • GAAP gross margin also rose: GAAP gross margin was 38.5% in Q4, up 277 basis points from a year earlier and 82 basis points from Q3. Fiscal 2026 GAAP gross margin was 37.5%. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating expenses rose, SG&A ratio fell: Non-GAAP operating expenses were $377 million in Q4, up 22.7% year over year. Non-GAAP SG&A was 8.2% of revenue, down from 10.3%. Source
  • Restructuring charges fell, impairment booked: Restructuring charges were $6.1 million in Q4, against $34.4 million in Q3 and $53.9 million a year earlier. The company also recorded a $44.3 million impairment of assets held for sale. Source
  • GAAP operating income reached $253.9 million: GAAP operating income was $253.9 million in Q4, a 12.4% operating margin. Non-GAAP operating income was $445.8 million, a 21.8% margin. Source

Demand and capacity

  • Copper-to-optical shift cited as driver: Management said its photonic portfolio and manufacturing scale position it to deliver accelerating growth as AI datacenters move from copper to optical connectivity. Source
  • Customer demand described as exceptional: Management described customer demand as exceptional and production capacity as expanding, with several new growth platforms starting to ramp. Source

Guidance and non-GAAP basis

  • First-quarter guidance given as ranges: Guidance for the first quarter of fiscal 2027 covers revenue, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP tax rate and non-GAAP EPS, each given as a range. Source
  • Non-GAAP tax rate normalized at 19%: For fiscal 2026 the company used a full-year normalized non-GAAP tax rate of 19%, applied to each quarter. The company says this gives investors a more consistent view of underlying performance. Source
  • Non-GAAP excludes listed adjustments: Non-GAAP results exclude share-based compensation, acquired intangible amortization, restructuring, held-for-sale impairments, gains on business sales and integration costs, among other adjustments. Source
  • No GAAP reconciliation for guidance: The company gives no quantitative GAAP reconciliation for its forward non-GAAP gross margin, operating expenses, tax rate or EPS, citing items it cannot forecast without unreasonable effort. Source

Capital, cash and funding

  • Capital spending rose as operating cash fell: Operating cash flow was $79.5 million in fiscal 2026, down from $633.6 million a year earlier. Additions to property, plant and equipment rose to $1,102.9 million from $440.8 million. Source
  • Equity raised and debt repaid: Fiscal 2026 proceeds from issuance of common shares were $1,998.6 million. Payments on existing debt were $1,723.4 million, against $437.0 million a year earlier. Source
  • Cash and short-term investments on hand: Cash and cash equivalents were $1,162.0 million and short-term investments were $825.0 million at June 30, 2026. Source
  • Preferred dividends fell sharply: Dividends on preferred stock were $35.1 million in fiscal 2026, down from $129.9 million in fiscal 2025. Source
  • Inventories rose sharply: Inventories were $2,581.0 million at June 30, 2026, up from $1,437.6 million at June 30, 2025. Source

Strategy and portfolio changes

  • Aerospace, defense and Munich tools sold: Fiscal 2026 included a $124.1 million gain on sale of business, from selling the aerospace and defense and Munich tools businesses. Source
  • Equity-method stake partly sold: A $74.0 million gain on sale of shares in an equity-method investment was recorded in fiscal 2026, with $89.4 million of proceeds. Source
  • Net property and plant grew: Net property, plant and equipment was $2,999.3 million at June 30, 2026, up from $1,877.5 million a year earlier. Source

Coming up, as management said on 12 August 2026

  • Growth platforms begin to ramp: Management said several new growth platforms are beginning to ramp as fiscal 2027 starts. Source
  • Capacity spending continues: Management said capital will prioritize manufacturing capacity to meet accelerating customer demand. Source
  • Guidance to come through call and release: Future financial guidance will be limited to remarks on the quarterly call and the business guidance statements in the release. Source
  • Investor presentation after the call: An investor presentation was to be filed as an 8-K exhibit and posted on the website after market close on August 12, 2026. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Restructuring, integration, foreign exchange and share-based compensation items are hard to forecast, and management says their variability could significantly change future GAAP results. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The CFO said capital allocation remains disciplined, with investment prioritized for manufacturing capacity. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.