New York, Feb 10, 2026, 14:07 (EST) — Regular session
- Coherent shares dropped in the afternoon, following a stock sale filing from a Bain Capital affiliate.
- The planned sale involves roughly 9.4 million shares, adding to a pair of sizable disposals from late last year.
- Deal terms remain in focus for traders, with attention fixed on sponsor selling and its ongoing pressure on the stock.
Coherent Corp (COHR.N) slipped 4.4% to $231.70 Tuesday afternoon, as word got out that a major shareholder is looking to offload another chunk of shares. The photonics manufacturer’s stock swung between $225.38 and $240.50, with roughly 5.1 million shares traded by that point.
The filing is relevant right now: it signals more shares could hit the market in a name that’s already been running hot. Large secondary block sales, typically handled by banks and priced below market, have a tendency to knock a stock down, regardless of whether the underlying story shifts.
BCPE Watson (DE) BML, LP, a Bain Capital affiliate, moved to sell 9,437,238 shares in a fresh Form 144 filing, tallying up to roughly $2.22 billion, according to the document. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is on tap to manage the sale. Previous sales? The notice cites 5 million shares offloaded in December and another 7.5 million in November. 1
Form 144—a key notice under Rule 144—must be filed to signal a potential sale of restricted stock, as long as specific SEC conditions are met. The filing itself doesn’t confirm any shares have been sold yet, but it can hang over the stock, sometimes weighing on headlines.
Coherent produces engineered materials, lasers, and optoelectronic components, targeting customers in industrial, communications, and electronics sectors, among others. According to Reuters company data, its segments break down into Networking, Materials, and Lasers. 2
Investors are picking up on recent signals from management about demand. Chief Executive Jim Anderson, during last week’s quarterly update, pointed to “strong year-over-year revenue growth” and noted, “our non-GAAP earnings per share nearly doubled.” That figure refers to the company’s adjusted profit metric. 3
Anderson, speaking on the earnings call, told listeners that “the visibility of the business is the best it’s ever been.” That remark has been making the rounds among traders lately. 4
The tape’s got a mind of its own—things can flip fast. Should the block require a steeper discount than traders bargained for, or if additional sponsor shares hit the market, any bounce might get capped by more selling.
Traders on Tuesday will keep an eye out for indications the proposed sale is progressing without hiccups, and they’ll be tracking any new filings that update ownership after the deals close.
Coherent will make an appearance at SEMICON Korea in Seoul from Feb. 11-13, joining a handful of upcoming industry events on investors’ radar for new signals on demand. 5
