Envestnet Asset Management Inc. Lowers Stock Holdings in Ciena Corporation $CIEN

Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lessened its stake in Ciena Corporation (NYSE:CIEN) by 20.8% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 317,410 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock after selling 83,217 shares during the quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Ciena were worth $46,237,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of CIEN. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Ciena during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new position in Ciena in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in Ciena in the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Ciena during the third quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ciena in the third quarter valued at approximately $55,000. 91.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ciena

In related news, SVP Jason Phipps sold 21,383 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $247.89, for a total value of $5,300,631.87. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 91,765 shares in the company, valued at $22,747,625.85. This represents a 18.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Patrick Gallagher sold 11,618 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.45, for a total value of $2,642,514.10. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 50,184 shares in the company, valued at $11,414,350.80. This trade represents a 18.80% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 157,242 shares of company stock worth $36,341,766. Company insiders own 0.93% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CIEN has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group upped their price objective on Ciena from $120.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Ciena to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Barclays increased their target price on Ciena from $138.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Ciena from $215.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Ciena from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $241.67.

Ciena Price Performance

Ciena stock opened at $297.93 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 2.73 and a quick ratio of 2.09. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $237.84 and a 200-day simple moving average of $177.44. Ciena Corporation has a 12 month low of $49.21 and a 12 month high of $298.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.96 billion, a PE ratio of 350.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.13.

Ciena (NYSE:CIEN) last released its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The communications equipment provider reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.29 billion. Ciena had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 8.38%. The business’s revenue was up 20.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.54 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Ciena Corporation will post 1.6 earnings per share for the current year.

Ciena News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Ciena this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Short interest fell sharply (~28.7% between Jan 15 and Jan 30), leaving only ~3.0% of float short and a low 1.9 days-to-cover — reducing immediate short-pressure on the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Ciena made its debut in the S&P 500, highlighting its growing role in AI networking; S&P inclusion can attract index funds and broaden institutional demand. Ciena’s S&P 500 Debut Highlights Growing Role In AI Networking
• Positive Sentiment: The stock recently hit a 52-week high, reinforcing momentum and technical strength that can draw momentum/trend-following flows. Ciena stock hits 52-week high at 286.22 USD
• Positive Sentiment: Ciena is shown in the Russell 1000 technology framework, which can increase visibility among passive/rules-based investors. Ciena Corporation Shown in Russell 1000 Technology Framework
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks has highlighted CIEN as a top growth/momentum idea (Zacks Rank #1 and momentum coverage), which can help retail and advisory buying interest. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for February 9th
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent sessions showed strong volume and big daily moves (e.g., a 7.3% jump), but Zacks notes that earnings-estimate revision trends could limit near-term upside — a mixed technical/fundamental signal. Ciena (CIEN) Soars 7.3%: Is Further Upside Left in the Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Reports flagged insider selling/dispositions, which can be perceived as a bearish signal by some investors and add short-term caution. Possible Bearish Signals With Ciena Insiders Disposing Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts note the stock’s rapid 6‑month gains (~210%) and flag expensive valuation and rising costs as risks that could temper longer-term returns if growth/ margins re-rate. Ciena Surges 210% in 6 Months: Should Investors Buy, Hold or Fold?

Ciena Company Profile

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.