Applied Optoelectronics Jumps 17% on Optical Rally

Applied Optoelectronics Inc. shares jumped 17% on Thursday, continuing a strong rally in optical component stocks.
Lumentum Holdings rose 5% and Coherent Corp. gained 4%, while the sector benefits from AI‑driven data‑center bandwidth demand.
Over the past 12 months Applied Optoelectronics surged >470%, Lumentum >1,100% and Coherent >270%, with AAOI up >90% in February alone.
Companies such as Fabrinet and Corning also rose as optical products gain importance in data centers amid AI infrastructure spending.