COHR vs LITE Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
COHR (Coherent) and LITE (Lumentum) are both optical components companies benefiting from AI data center optical networking demand — Coherent is larger and more diversified across compound semiconductors, SiC for EVs, and industrial lasers alongside its transceiver business, while Lumentum is more focused on optical networking components, 3D sensing, and telecom photonics. Both benefit from the same AI cluster optical transceiver demand tailwind.
COHR vs LITE is diversified compound semiconductor and photonics leader (Coherent's multi-market photonics portfolio spanning AI networking transceivers, SiC for EVs, and industrial lasers with post-merger scale) versus focused optical networking and 3D sensing specialist (Lumentum's concentrated expertise in optical components for telecom and data center networking with 3D sensing as a consumer technology play) — diversified scale versus focused photonics specialist.
LITE holds the edge across 5 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. LITE leads on both 1-year return (+860.89%) and forward P/E (46.88x vs 47.64x for COHR), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. LITE leads on both revenue growth (90.10%) and operating margin (21.77%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for LITE (+30.74%) than for COHR (-1.31%).
- →Want diversified photonics exposure spanning AI networking transceivers, SiC semiconductors for EVs, and industrial lasers — Coherent's multi-market presence smooths revenue across different technology investment cycles
- →Value Coherent's vertical integration in compound semiconductor materials as a supply chain advantage for both transceiver and SiC businesses
- →Accept elevated post-merger debt and integration complexity as the cost of Coherent's scale and multi-market photonics portfolio
- →Want a more focused optical networking components play with depth in optical networking technology for both telecom and AI data center applications
- →Value Lumentum's VCSEL and 3D sensing technology as a differentiated capability applicable to emerging consumer and automotive sensing markets beyond data center networking
- →Prefer Lumentum's lower leverage and simpler business compared to Coherent's more complex multi-business post-merger integration
| Metric | COHR | LITE |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 73.6 | 85.0 |
| AI rank | #27 | #3 |
| Latest close | $389.57 | $850.00 |
| 1M return | +10.16% | -4.50% |
| 6M return | +128.57% | +165.42% |
| 1Y return | +373.41% | +860.89% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | COHR | LITE |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $47.34K (+373.4%) started 2025-06-18 | $96.09K (+860.9%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $57.75K (+477.5%) started 2021-06-18 | $106.22K (+962.2%) started 2021-06-18 |
| 10Y ago | $194.59K (+1845.9%) started 2016-06-20 | $341.5K (+3315.0%) started 2016-06-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | COHR | LITE |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $76.22B | $66.13B |
| Trailing P/E | 185.51 | 149.12 |
| Forward P/E | 47.64 | 46.88 |
| Price/Sales | 12.17 | 40.44 |
| EV/Revenue | 11.75 | 24.55 |
| Analyst target | $384.45 | $1,111.29 |
| Target upside | -1.31% | +30.74% |
| Metric | COHR | LITE |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 20.50% | 90.10% |
| Earnings growth | 27548.00% | N/A |
| EPS growth | +27548.00% | N/A |
| FCF margin | -2.99% | +3.75% |
| Operating margin | 13.57% | 21.77% |
| Profit margin | 7.10% | 17.68% |
| ROIC proxy | 4.72% | 22.83% |
| Return on equity | 4.72% | 22.83% |
| Dividend yield | N/A | N/A |
| Beta | 2.05 | 1.48 |
| Debt/equity | 31.09 | 111.44 |
| Current ratio | 3.05 | 1.14 |
| Quick ratio | 1.71 | 0.94 |
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | COHR | LITE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +373.41% | +860.89% |
| CAGR | +373.92% | +862.38% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 2.42 | 3.00 | |
| Max drawdown | 26.52% | 28.70% | |
| Max daily drop | 19.61% | 14.19% | |
| Max wkly drop | 24.71% | 20.33% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +477.48% | +962.23% |
| CAGR | +42.01% | +60.43% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.81 | 1.02 | |
| Max drawdown | 62.87% | 66.48% | |
| Max daily drop | 29.87% | 22.46% | |
| Max wkly drop | 30.16% | 24.54% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +1845.90% | +3315.03% |
| CAGR | +34.59% | +42.38% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.73 | 0.83 | |
| Max drawdown | 72.22% | 66.89% | |
| Max daily drop | 29.87% | 32.98% | |
| Max wkly drop | 32.69% | 31.75% |
| Category | COHR | LITE |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Coherent Corp. | Lumentum Holdings Inc. |
| Sector | Technology - Compound Semiconductors & Photonics | Technology - Optical & Photonic Products |
| Industry | N/A | N/A |
| Core business | Coherent Corp. (formerly II-VI Incorporated, which acquired the original Coherent Inc.) is a diversified compound semiconductor and photonics company — producing optical transceivers for data center and telecom networking, silicon carbide wafers for EV power electronics, industrial lasers, consumer photonics (3D sensing), and precision optics for aerospace and defense. Coherent serves multiple technology end markets requiring advanced photonic and compound semiconductor components. | Lumentum is an optical and photonic products company specializing in optical networking components (lasers, modulators, transceivers, ROADMs for telecom and data center networks) and consumer and industrial products (3D sensing for smartphone facial recognition and industrial applications, solid-state lidar). Lumentum was originally spun out of JDSU (now Viavi Solutions) in 2015. |
| Investor focus | Investors track Coherent's datacom revenue growth (AI-driven transceiver demand), SiC wafer production ramp for EVs, merger integration progress and debt reduction, and the transition to higher-bandwidth transceiver generations (400G, 800G, 1.6T for AI cluster networking). | Investors track Lumentum's cloud and networking segment revenue (data center and telecom optical components), 3D sensing revenue from Apple (a historically significant customer for Face ID components), AI data center transceiver growth, and overall optical component market cycle dynamics. |
- →Scale and breadth in optical transceivers — Coherent's large optical transceiver portfolio serves the full range of data center speeds and form factors, positioning it to capture demand across current and next-generation AI networking buildouts
- →Vertical integration in compound semiconductors — Coherent's internal production of compound semiconductor wafers (indium phosphide, gallium arsenide, SiC) reduces component costs and provides supply chain control
- →Multi-market diversification — while AI networking is a current growth driver, Coherent's SiC, industrial laser, and defense photonics businesses provide revenue diversification across different technology cycles
- →Optical networking component expertise — Lumentum has deep expertise in photonic integrated circuit design and optical component manufacturing; its ROADM (Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer) products for long-haul telecom are market-leading
- →AI data center transceiver growth — like Coherent, Lumentum benefits from hyperscaler demand for high-bandwidth optical transceivers as AI GPU clusters require massive optical networking bandwidth
- →3D sensing/LiDAR technology capabilities — Lumentum's VCSEL laser technology for 3D sensing (used in Apple Face ID and potential automotive lidar applications) represents a technology capability applicable to emerging markets
- →Merger integration debt burden — Coherent's acquisition history left the company with significant leverage; debt service consumes cash flow that could otherwise fund R&D or capital return
- →High-speed transceiver competitive intensity — the 800G and 1.6T transceiver market is intensely competitive among Coherent, Lumentum, Inphi/Marvell, and Asian suppliers; pricing can compress as volumes scale
- →SiC competitive dynamics — dedicated SiC companies (Wolfspeed, onsemi, STMicro) are all expanding capacity; the SiC market could face oversupply if EV ramp timing disappoints against capacity additions
- →Apple 3D sensing revenue concentration and volatility — Lumentum has historically derived significant revenue from Apple's 3D sensing component purchases for iPhone Face ID; changes in Apple's supply chain strategy create revenue concentration risk
- →Telecom optical cycle weakness — long-haul and metro telecom optical spending cycles have faced weakness as carriers digested previous buildouts; recovery timing has been uncertain
- →Optical component commoditization — as transceiver speeds scale from 400G to 800G to 1.6T, each generation risks faster commoditization as multiple suppliers and Asian manufacturers compete on the new speed tiers
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