Highlights

  • Coherent scheduled fiscal first-quarter results for November after reporting strong revenue growth in its completed financial year.
  • Datacom generated most fourth-quarter revenue as segment sales increased sharply from the comparable period a year earlier.
  • Management forecasts higher first-quarter revenue alongside specified ranges for gross margin, operating expenses and adjusted earnings.
  • Coherent held substantial cash and investments at year-end while total debt remained above those combined liquid balances.

Datacom's growing contribution sets the backdrop for Coherent (NYSE:COHR) as it prepares to report fiscal first-quarter results on 4 November 2026. The company announced the reporting date on 14 October, following a financial year in which revenue increased 22.5%. Its next-quarter guidance anticipates further sales growth, with margins and expenses providing additional measures of delivery.

November Report Follows a Strong Year

Coherent will release fiscal 2027 first-quarter results after the New York Stock Exchange closes. A webcast is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Eastern time.

The latest reported figures, released on 12 August, covered the fourth quarter and full financial year ended 30 June. Quarterly revenue was USD 2.05 billion, up 33.8% year on year. Annual revenue reached USD 7.12 billion.

Fourth-quarter diluted earnings per share were USD 1.19 on a GAAP basis and USD 1.74 non-GAAP. Full-year earnings per share were USD 4.12 and USD 5.61, respectively. Chief executive Jim Anderson highlighted record revenue and margin expansion in his assessment of the year.

Datacom Takes a Larger Share

Fourth-quarter datacom revenue reached USD 1,615.0 million, compared with USD 1,018.3 million a year earlier. The segment, which serves data centres and communications, generated approximately 79% of quarterly revenue.

Annual datacom revenue was USD 5,274.6 million. Its scale makes customer demand in that market a major influence on the group's results. The business mix therefore matters alongside the overall sales growth rate.

Quarterly gross margin was 38.5% on a GAAP basis and 40.2% non-GAAP. The two measures provide different presentations of profitability, with management guiding on the adjusted basis for the next quarter.

Guidance Sets Revenue and Cost Parameters

For the first quarter of fiscal 2027, Coherent forecasts revenue of USD 2.2 billion to USD 2.4 billion. Non-GAAP gross margin is expected at 39.5% to 41.5%.

Management also guided to non-GAAP operating expenses of USD 400 million to USD 420 million, a tax rate of 18% to 20%, and earnings per share of USD 1.85 to USD 2.05 on the guided non-GAAP basis.

The revenue range lies above the fourth-quarter result, while the earnings range also exceeds the preceding quarter's non-GAAP figure. Both remain forecasts. The November release will establish the actual outcome rather than confirm guidance in advance.

Liquid Resources Sit Against Borrowings

At 30 June, Coherent held USD 1,162.0 million in cash and equivalents and USD 825.0 million in short-term investments. Total debt was approximately USD 3,222 million, almost all long-term.

The combined cash and investment balances provide financial resources, but they remain below total borrowings. Debt levels and financing costs therefore form part of the earnings context alongside operating growth.

Coherent joined the S&P 500 before trading opened on 23 March 2026 and left the S&P MidCap 400. The index change was announced by S&P Dow Jones Indices on 6 March.

The approaching report will bring the focus back to operating delivery: revenue within the stated range, datacom demand, gross margin and the expense base. Together, those measures will show how the business followed its completed financial year.