Ciena reported fiscal third-quarter revenue and earnings above analyst expectations, driven by demand for optical networking tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure. Revenue for the quarter ended Aug. 1, 2026, rose 37% to $1.671 billion, while adjusted EPS more than tripled to $2.11, a 215% year-over-year increase. Optical Networking revenue increased 46% to $1.191 billion, and profitability expanded sharply as adjusted gross margin reached 46.4% and adjusted operating margin rose to 22.5%. Ciena’s backlog rose to $8.5 billion. The company raised its fiscal 2026 revenue outlook to $6.37 billion-$6.47 billion, above its previous range and analyst consensus, while forecasting fourth-quarter revenue of $1.7 billion-$1.8 billion. Cash and cash equivalents reached $2.446 billion, and first-nine-month operating cash flow rose to $683.6 million. Ciena also highlighted its role in supplying systems-level optical platforms as AI workloads push high-speed connectivity closer to data centers and server infrastructure.