Zacks Research Downgrades Ciena (NYSE:CIEN) to Hold

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Aug 5th, 2026

Ciena (NYSE:CIEN – Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Rothschild & Co Redburn assumed coverage on Ciena in a research report on Friday, May 1st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $416.00 price target for the company. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Ciena in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Ciena from $425.00 to $675.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Ciena from $405.00 to $490.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upped their target price on Ciena from $320.00 to $530.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $530.56.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Ciena

Ciena Stock Performance

CIEN opened at $411.04 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.18 billion, a PE ratio of 137.01 and a beta of 1.30. Ciena has a twelve month low of $84.41 and a twelve month high of $637.51. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $449.79 and its 200 day moving average price is $417.02. The company has a current ratio of 2.73, a quick ratio of 2.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53.

Ciena (NYSE:CIEN – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 4th. The communications equipment provider reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $1.57 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.50 billion. Ciena had a net margin of 7.87% and a return on equity of 18.15%. Ciena’s revenue was up 39.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.42 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Ciena will post 5.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ciena

In other news, SVP Brodie Gage sold 1,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $466.10, for a total transaction of $559,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 42,741 shares in the company, valued at $19,921,580.10. This trade represents a 2.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Jason Phipps sold 2,629 shares of Ciena stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $466.20, for a total transaction of $1,225,639.80. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 62,382 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,082,488.40. The trade was a 4.04% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 21,627 shares of company stock worth $10,508,776. Insiders own 0.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ciena

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ciena by 71.0% in the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Asset Dedication LLC increased its position in shares of Ciena by 2,100.0% during the 1st quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 88 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Ciena by 57.8% in the 2nd quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 71 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the period. Truvestments Capital LLC raised its holdings in Ciena by 45.3% in the 4th quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC now owns 154 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its position in Ciena by 635.7% in the first quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 103 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.99% of the company’s stock.

Ciena Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Ciena Corporation (NYSE: CIEN) is a global supplier of telecommunications networking equipment, software and services. The company develops high-capacity optical transport systems and packet-optical platforms that enable service providers, cloud operators and large enterprises to build, manage and scale their networks. Ciena’s product portfolio includes coherent optical solutions, packet networking platforms and a suite of network automation software designed to optimize bandwidth, reduce latency and simplify network operations.

In addition to hardware offerings, Ciena provides professional services and support, including network design, implementation and ongoing maintenance.