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Lumentum Holdings Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 3 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 90% from a year earlier: Net revenue was $808.4 million, up 21.5% from $665.5 million in the second quarter and 90.1% from $425.2 million a year earlier. Source
  • Non-GAAP EPS above prior-release range: Non-GAAP net income was $225.7 million, or $2.37 per diluted share, above the $2.15 to $2.35 EPS range given in the second-quarter release for this quarter. Source
  • Laser chips and scale-across aided mix: Management said mix was aided by strength in laser chips and by scale-across components, which include pump lasers and narrow linewidth laser assemblies. Source
  • Margin gains credited to several factors: Management listed operational rigor, pricing discipline and product mix as drivers of the margin improvement. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating margin reached 32.2%: Non-GAAP operating income was $260.7 million, a 32.2% margin, against the 30.0% to 31.0% range given in the second-quarter release for this quarter. Source
  • Optical circuit switch scaling underway: In the second-quarter release, management said it was scaling optical circuit switches to meet customer demand, with backlog well beyond $400 million.
  • Cash and short-term investments rose: Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $3,172.3 million at quarter end, up $2,017.0 million from the second quarter. Source

“Lumentum delivered an exceptional third quarter, with revenue growing 90% year over year to a record $808 million.”

President and CEO Michael Hurlston

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net revenue Sourcefourth quarter of fiscal year 2026$960 million to $1.01 billionNew
Non-GAAP operating margin Sourcefourth quarter of fiscal year 202635.0% to 36.0%New
Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share Sourcefourth quarter of fiscal year 2026$2.85 to $3.05New
Non-GAAP tax rate Sourcefiscal year 202616.5%Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 guidance was given for net revenue, non-GAAP operating margin and non-GAAP diluted EPS. The second-quarter release gave third-quarter ranges only. Source
  • Guidance kept: The non-GAAP tax rate for fiscal 2026 remained at 16.5%, as in the second-quarter release. Source
  • New: Lumentum issued Series A Convertible Preferred Stock in March 2026, which the company says drove the rise in cash in the quarter. Source
  • New: Lumentum reported legal and professional fees in the quarter tied to an acquisition of a business completed in March 2026. The release does not name the business. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 90% from a year earlier: Net revenue was $808.4 million, up 21.5% from $665.5 million in the second quarter and 90.1% from $425.2 million a year earlier. Source
  • Non-GAAP EPS above prior-release range: Non-GAAP net income was $225.7 million, or $2.37 per diluted share, above the $2.15 to $2.35 EPS range given in the second-quarter release for this quarter. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose to $293.5 million: Adjusted EBITDA was $293.5 million, against $198.3 million in the second quarter and $71.0 million a year earlier. Source

Product types and mix

  • Components revenue grew 20% sequentially: Components revenue was $533.3 million, 66.0% of net revenue, up 20.2% from the second quarter and 77.3% from a year earlier. Source
  • Systems revenue grew 24% sequentially: Systems revenue was $275.1 million, 34.0% of net revenue, up 24.0% from the second quarter and 121.1% from a year earlier. Source
  • Laser chips and scale-across aided mix: Management said mix was aided by strength in laser chips and by scale-across components, which include pump lasers and narrow linewidth laser assemblies. Source

“In fiscal Q3, gross margin improved by 540 basis points on quarter and operating margin by 700 basis points,”

President and CEO Michael Hurlston

Margins and costs

  • Non-GAAP gross margin reached 47.9%: Non-GAAP gross profit was $386.9 million, or 47.9% of revenue, against 42.5% in the second quarter and 35.2% a year earlier. GAAP gross margin was 44.2%. Source
  • Margin gains credited to several factors: Management listed operational rigor, pricing discipline and product mix as drivers of the margin improvement. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating margin reached 32.2%: Non-GAAP operating income was $260.7 million, a 32.2% margin, against the 30.0% to 31.0% range given in the second-quarter release for this quarter. Source
  • GAAP operating margin turned positive: GAAP operating income was $174.5 million, a 21.6% margin, against 9.7% in the second quarter and an operating loss margin of 8.9% a year earlier. Source
  • Operating expenses lower than last year: GAAP research and development was $90.6 million, against $80.1 million in the second quarter and $75.9 million a year earlier. SG&A was $90.8 million, against $112.0 million a year earlier. Source

Non-GAAP basis and guidance

  • No GAAP reconciliation for guidance: The company said it did not provide reconciliations of its fourth-quarter guidance to GAAP, because they cannot be provided without unreasonable effort. Source
  • Certain adjustments described as volatile: Management said stock-based compensation, acquisition and integration costs, restructuring and tax reconciling items are highly volatile, with low visibility into their future range. Source
  • Items excluded from non-GAAP results: Excluded items include stock-based compensation, amortization of acquired intangibles, restructuring, non-cash interest expense and foreign exchange, among others. Source

“As our key growth drivers of co-packaged optics and optical circuit switches begin to kick in, we would expect further increases in earnings power.”

President and CEO Michael Hurlston

Strategy and growth programs

  • Optical circuit switch scaling underway: In the second-quarter release, management said it was scaling optical circuit switches to meet customer demand, with backlog well beyond $400 million.
  • Co-packaged optics order received: The second-quarter release said an incremental multi-hundred-million-dollar co-packaged optics order was received, deliverable in the first half of calendar 2027.
  • Reduction in force realigned investments: Restructuring and related charges were $1.1 million in the quarter and $9.0 million for nine months, mainly from a reduction in force to realign investments toward the most critical initiatives. Source

Cash, debt and capital

  • Cash and short-term investments rose: Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $3,172.3 million at quarter end, up $2,017.0 million from the second quarter. Source
  • Debt classified as current: Current portion of long-term debt was $3,238.6 million at March 28, 2026, against $10.6 million at June 28, 2025. Long-term debt was $43.2 million, against $2,562.6 million. Source
  • Paid-in capital and deficit moved: Additional paid-in capital rose to $3,600.9 million from $1,986.8 million at June 28, 2025. Accumulated deficit narrowed to $634.6 million from $861.2 million. Source
  • GAAP diluted share count increased: GAAP diluted shares were 96.2 million, against 87.8 million in the second quarter. The company applies the if-converted method to its Series A Preferred Stock in diluted shares. Source

Charges, settlements and amortization

  • Cloud Light escrow settled for $27.5 million: Management said the Cloud Light escrow settlement, completed in the second quarter, was $27.5 million and treated it as non-recurring in non-GAAP results. Source
  • Asset impairments on held-for-sale assets: Other charges included an impairment of $7.7 million for nine months to write down assets held for sale. The second-quarter release reported a $7.5 million impairment for that quarter. Source
  • Acquired intangibles amortization eased: Amortization of acquired intangibles was $33.8 million, against $34.0 million in the second quarter and $34.4 million a year earlier. Depreciation was $32.8 million. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 May 2026

  • Form 10-Q for March quarter: The quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 28, 2026 is to be filed with the SEC. Source
  • Supporting materials posted online: Supporting materials on the latest results are to be posted on the investor website under the Events section at the time of the release. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Legal fees of $2.5 million in the quarter related mainly to non-ordinary course legal matters. Nine-month legal fees were $9.0 million. Source
  • Operational: Cloud Light legacy product warranty expense of $9.8 million was recorded in cost of sales in the second quarter and is excluded from non-GAAP results. 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.