Viavi Solutions, Inc. VIAV reported a non-GAAP operating income of $85.5 million, up from $47.7 million a year ago quarter. Non-GAAP operating margin was 21%, up from 16.7% a year ago.
The improvement in operating margin is driven by multiple factors, including strong growth in the Network and Service Enablement segment (NSE) and Optical Security and Performance Products (OSP). In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, the NSE segment generated $321.5 million in revenues, up 54.4% year over year. The segment accounted for 79% of total revenues. Acquisition of Spirent product lines and strong demand across lab, production and field products, mainly from the data center ecosystem and aerospace & defense sectors, drove solid sales growth in this segment. The OSP segment revenues were $85.3 million, up 11.4% year over year, driven by strong demand for 3D Sensing and anti-counterfeiting.
Higher revenue is allowing fixed costs to be spread across a larger sales base. This is resulting in a significant operating leverage. Every incremental dollar of NSE revenue contributes roughly 40-45 cents to operating income, reflecting a highly scalable cost structure. Increasing mix, AI infrastructure and data center business, backed by hyperscalers’ demand, investment by optical module vendors and semiconductor companies will likely drive operating margin in the coming quarters. In the fourth quarter, Viavi expects its operating margin to reach 22.7%, up from 21% in the third quarter.
Other Tech Firms With Strong Margin Expansion
Sanmina Corporation SANM reported a non-GAAP operating profit of $257 million in the second quarter of 2026, up from $111 million a year ago. Non-GAAP operating margin improved to 6.4% from 5.6%. The 131.5% increase year over year and an 80-basis point operating margin expansion are driven by a multitude of factors. The ZT system, which performed significantly better than expected, was one of the biggest contributors. Strong customer demand for accelerated compute systems and earlier-than-expected shipments supported Sanmina’s profitability. Sanmina’s revenues surged 102.3% year over year to $4.01 billion. Revenue growth significantly outpaced the increase in operating expenses. Disciplined cost management was also a key contributor in this regard.
HubSpot. Inc. HUBS generated a non-GAAP operating income of $156.8 million, up from $100.3 million in the prior-year quarter, with margin expanding 380 basis points year over year to 17.8%. Higher revenues and operating discipline helped offset increased investments in research, AI innovation and sales initiatives. HubSpot continues to witness rising adoption among larger customers as businesses consolidate marketing, sales and service workflows on a unified AI-enabled platform. During the first quarter of 2026, deals above $60,000 in annual recurring revenues increased 37% year over year, while deals above $120,000 ARR rose 64%. HubSpot’s AI strategy is increasingly contributing to customer engagement and monetization.
VIAV’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
Viavi has gained 290.8% in the past year compared with the Electronics - Measuring Instruments industry’s growth of 287%.
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Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company’s shares currently trade at 32.8 forward earnings, lower than 41.94 for the industry and its mean of 37.66.
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The company’s earnings estimates for 2026 have remained unchanged and 2027 have improved over the past 60 days.
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VIAV carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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