Fiber optics vendors Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) and Clearfield (NASDAQ: CLFD) are trading at multi-calendar year highs as community updates spur profits advancement. 

Even though they operate in very similar industries and are properly proven, these are pretty diverse corporations. 

With a current market capitalization of $11.49 billion, Ciena is on the reduce conclude of the large-cap designation. The Maryland-dependent business tends to make networking components and program, and offers expert services in the regions of info transportation, shipping and delivery, and administration. It serves enterprise purchasers like cable operators, businesses, and federal government agencies. Its clients hail from all locations around the globe. 

The stock gapped up extra than 16% on December 9, pursuing the company’s robust fourth-quarter report. Profits was up 26%, to $1 billion. Earnings came in at $.85 for every share, a year-in excess of-yr attain of 42%. 

MarketBeat earnings information demonstrate that Ciena beat revenue views in the quarter, even though earnings were being in line. It is topped both equally top rated- and base-line anticipations in the earlier a few quarters. 

In the earnings meeting call, CEO Gary Smith reported, “[O]oders in the quarter have been at the time again drastically larger than income. And with our third consecutive quarter of orders outpacing earnings, we have significant momentum and greater self confidence in the demand from customers natural environment.”

He included that the organization ended the year with its best-ever backlog, totaling  close to $2.2 billion. 

“We doubled our backlog of the year in the past,” Smith included.  

The stock was trading fractionally better mid-session Tuesday, next the company’s announcement that it would repurchase $250 million in shares. 

Ciena is at this time much out of obtain selection, with shares buying and selling 12% earlier mentioned their 10-day common. A pullback to even a small-expression moving average could present a spot to initiate a place. 

Analysts have fairly moderate earnings forecasts for the foreseeable long run, pegging earnings development at 7% this calendar year and 19% in 2022. The network buildout development and the company’s increasing order backlog…