Why Ciena Shares Surged

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of networking equipment specialist Ciena soared 16% today after its quarterly results topped Wall Street expectations.

So what: The stock had slumped going into today's first-quarter release on concerns over slowing demand, but a wide beat on the bottom line -- adjusted EPS of $0.12 versus Wall Street's view of a $0.14 loss -- is quickly easing those fears. While revenue of $453.1 million was largely in line with estimates, a 290 basis point gross margin gives investors plenty of good vibes over its ability to grow profitably going forward.

Now what: Management now sees second-quarter revenue of $465 million-$495 million, pretty much in line with the average analyst estimate of $480.2 million. "We have positioned Ciena to take advantage of the underlying market dynamics, which are increasingly aligned with our strategy and competitive strengths," said CEO Gary Smith. "We believe the combination of our technology and market share leadership as well as our strategic customer relationships will enable us to continue growing faster than the market." With the stock now up about 50% from its 52-week lows and trading at a 20-plus forward P/E, however, I'd wait for some of the excitement to fade before buying into that bullishness.

Interested in more info Ciena? Add it to your watchlist.

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The article Why Ciena Shares Surged originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Brian Pacampara has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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