Helsinki, June 18, 2026, 02:02 EEST
- Nokia shares in Helsinki finished Wednesday at €12.04, up 0.29%. The OMX Helsinki 25 also gained 0.26%.
- The U.S.-listed ADR dropped 1.07% to $13.83, down for a second session in a row.
- Company headlines in AI infrastructure stayed in view as Nokia said it will grow U.S. photonics-chip packaging operations and boost a subsea cable link in Southeast Asia.
Nokia Oyj traded up in Helsinki on Wednesday, while its U.S. ADR slipped for another session. The split action kept investors testing the strength of the recent AI-infrastructure run for the company.
Helsinki stock finished at €12.04, up 0.29%. Shares moved between €11.86 and €12.41 during the session. The OMX Helsinki 25 index, which tracks Finland’s top blue-chips, added 0.26% to close at 6,324.03.
Nokia is making a push to get away from slow 5G carrier spending and lean into artificial intelligence—AI—the latest wave in software and computing. That need for speed is making companies build more optical hardware and crowd networks with capacity. Nokia made two moves in the past 48 hours that line up with that plan.
Nokia said late Tuesday it plans to expand its advanced test and packaging operations for photonic chips in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The company said the move will almost double its workforce there to over 500, while raising site output as much as tenfold. Nokia expects new capacity by the end of the third quarter. Photonic chips send data using light across optical networks, while advanced packaging converts finished chips into modules for use.
Nokia CEO Justin Hotard said in the release, “The AI supercycle is fundamentally reshaping network and infrastructure requirements.” According to the company, the investment will see Nokia put in around $30 million, with additional support from state aid and a federal CHIPS investment tax credit. Nokia Corporation | Nokia
Nokia said Wednesday Symphony Communication picked the company to handle an upgrade on the Malaysia-Cambodia-Thailand subsea cable system. Nokia’s PSE-6 coherent optics will boost capacity to as much as 30 terabits per second per fiber pair, Nokia said. That’s about triple what older systems can do. Power use drops 60% with the new gear, according to Nokia.
Nokia’s country manager in Thailand, Ajay Sharma, said the upgrade will deliver “advanced, trusted connectivity across Southeast Asia.” Symphony CEO Alex Loh called it a project that will provide “unmatched capacity and reliability.” Nokia Corporation | Nokia
Nokia’s ADR dropped 1.07% to $13.83 in New York. The Nasdaq Composite was down 1.34%, while the Dow lost 0.98%. The ADR slid 5.67% on Tuesday and finished Wednesday 20.74% under its June 3 52-week high of $17.45.
Ericsson’s U.S. shares dropped 3.0% on Wednesday, a day after the Swedish network equipment maker said it will change CEOs. Rival Ciena, the U.S. optical networking firm, gained 1.4%. Reaction among peers was mixed.
Investors may already be paying up for the AI story. Nokia left its 2026 comparable operating profit target unchanged at €2.0 billion to €2.5 billion in its first-quarter update, but shares are still down from their last peak. Delays getting AI and cloud orders onto the books, or cost pressure on margins from supply and build-outs, could put the stock under pressure again.
Nasdaq Helsinki will be shut on Friday, June 19, for Midsummer Day. Regular trading hours run Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:25 p.m. EEST.
