Lumentum Leads S&P 500 Rally as Optical Stocks Bounce Back

Lumentum was the standout performer in the S&P 500 on Monday, and its gains helped push the broader index higher. The move brought optical stocks back into focus after a period in which the group had struggled to hold investor interest.

Lumentum makes the lasers and optical components that carry data over fiber networks, and its business is closely tied to the spending on AI data centers. When investors grow more confident that this infrastructure will keep getting built, optical names tend to move quickly, in both directions.

The rebound followed Anthropic's filing for an initial public offering. That news drew attention to the AI sector as a whole, and to the companies that supply its networking and computing hardware. Coverage of the rally also cited other favorable news for the group alongside the filing.

Whether the recovery lasts will depend on whether those positive signals translate into steady demand and earnings. For now, the session showed how quickly sentiment can shift for stocks tied to the AI buildout.