Coherent: AI Tailwinds, Margin Expansion, And Something More Powerful Than Shares

  • Coherent is well-positioned for AI-driven data center growth but lacks a clear economic moat and carries significant debt, limiting its long-term upside appeal. My base-case DCF values COHR at $115.15, about 23% upside from the current price ($93.3), but that's not enough margin of safety for a no-moat, leveraged business. I prefer a bull Put Spread options strategy, which offers high ROI even if the stock is stagnant or slightly down, over simply buying shares.