New York, March 4, 2026, 10:40 EST — Regular session
- Lumentum dropped 0.8%. The stock whipped back and forth after news broke about its partnership with Nvidia.
- Nvidia’s $2 billion in preferred investment and purchase commitments has thrown a spotlight back onto AI data-center optics supply.
- Eyes are on Lumentum’s OFC 2026 briefing March 17, with investors looking for specifics about capacity plans.
Lumentum Holdings Inc. dipped 0.8% to $688.94 in Wednesday morning trading, after bouncing between $661 and $734.49 earlier. Shares in the optical components maker have seen sharp swings since Nvidia’s multibillion-dollar optics deal pushed Lumentum into the thick of the AI hardware trade.
The latest swing in the stock follows investor scrutiny of Nvidia’s $2 billion injection, laid out in a fresh Lumentum regulatory filing. According to Lumentum, it privately placed 2,876,415 shares of Series A convertible preferred stock with Nvidia, priced at $695.31 each. Those preferred shares can be swapped one-for-one for common stock—though only after the Hart‑Scott‑Rodino antitrust review’s waiting period either lapses or is cut short.
Nvidia’s nonexclusive deal features a multibillion-dollar purchase pledge and gives it access to cutting-edge laser components, on top of the $2 billion earmarked for U.S. manufacturing and R&D support. CEO Jensen Huang touted it as “the largest computing infrastructure buildout in history.” Over at Lumentum, CEO Michael Hurlston said the firm plans to expand with a new fabrication facility. NVIDIA Newsroom
Figuring out the deal’s potential, traders have been wrestling with sharp moves in the stock. Lumentum finished Tuesday at $694.43—down from $783.25 at Monday’s close, historical data show.
Speaking at Morgan Stanley’s Technology, Media & Telecom conference on Monday, Hurlston described the Nvidia partnership as the result of “many years in development.” He emphasized that the real win wasn’t just the equity, but the major purchase commitment. Pressed by Morgan Stanley analyst Meta Marshall for specifics, he added, “As part of the investment from NVIDIA, we’re gonna go out and get another fab.” Investing.com
Numbers on Wall Street are shifting fast. Needham hiked its price target to $850, up from $550, and stuck with a buy call after a new Nvidia deal for high-power lasers. The firm pointed out this purchase agreement kicks in during the second half of 2027 and stretches through 2029. Needham added that the order could back more investment in indium phosphide laser output—crucial for next-gen data-center optics.
Nvidia said it plans to pour $2 billion into Coherent on terms much like its earlier deals, furthering its bet on photonics—the tech that shuttles data with light instead of electricity—as AI workloads push against the boundaries of power and bandwidth. According to Reuters, Nvidia is on the hunt for photonics and advanced packaging methods to squeeze more out of its chips, with rivals crowding the AI stack.
But it’s not a straightforward wager. Building a new U.S. fab eats up both capital and months, maybe years; investors still need to see yields, schedules, and whether customer demand sticks as AI spending patterns change. On top of that, Nvidia’s preferred stake can’t convert until regulatory checkpoints are cleared—another wrinkle. If high-end data-center construction loses steam, optical suppliers would feel the impact fast.
March 17 marks the next key date: Lumentum plans its investor briefing at OFC 2026. Traders want details—capacity expansion, product roadmaps, and the pace of Nvidia’s order flow turning into actual shipments.
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