II-VI Unveils High Power Laser Bars & Semi-Framed Stack

II-VI Incorporated (NASDAQ:IIVI) recently unveiled high-power laser bars and semi-framed stacks mounted with micro-optic collimator lenses. These will allow the company to offer customers modular assemblies that can be integrated into direct diode lasers and diode-pumped solid state (DPSS) lasers.

Direct diode and DPSS lasers’ high power short-pulsed operation, together with their compact form factor and availability over a wide range of wavelengths, makes it an attractive tool for various biomedical, materials processing and defense applications. Notably, the cost of these systems, along with their performance and reliability, relies on semiconductor laser sub-assemblies.

The company’s laser bars include a proprietary hard solder technology, which helps in withstanding high power pulsed operation. As a matter of fact, II-VI’s advanced high-power laser bars and new simplified semi-framed stack structures, combined with fully automated optical alignment processes, will enable the company to offer its customers modular assemblies at optimum cost.

Notably, the company’s extensive portfolio of components for DPSS lasers comprises neodymium-doped gain crystals, including Nd:YVO₄, Nd:YAG, and Nd:YLF as well as dichroic mirrors. It also includes wavelength or resonator optics, polarization combiners and acousto-optic Q-switches.

Separately, II-VI has decided to showcase its extensive portfolios of merchant products for all laser technology platforms at Laser World of Photonics, scheduled to be held during Jun 24-27, 2019. Notably, the company will exhibit its advanced laser optics along with some cutting-edge laser heads and beam delivery solutions. Some of the notable solutions in the life sciences area to be showcased include flow cells, spectroscopy optics and precision temperature-controlled modules.

Our Take

II-VI has been grappling with adverse impact of rising costs and expenses. It is worth mentioning here that the company recorded 22% year-over-year rise in cost of sales in the third quarter of fiscal 2019 (ended Mar 31, 2019).

In addition, analysts have become increasingly bearish on the company over the past couple of months. Consequently, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2019 (ending Jun 30, 2019) and fiscal 2020 (ending Jun 30, 2020) earnings has trended down from $2.64 to $2.56, and from $3.08 to $3.00, respectively.

In the past three months, this Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) stock has lost 12.3%, wider than the industry’s decline of 6.3%.

Key Picks

Some better-ranked stocks from the Zacks Industrial Products sector are Chart Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:GTLS) , Roper Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:ROP) and Flowserve Corporation (NYSE:FLS) . While Chart Industries and Roper sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Flowserve carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Chart Industries surpassed estimates thrice in the trailing four quarters, the average positive earnings surprise being 16.56%.

Roper exceeded estimates in each of the preceding four quarters, the average positive earnings surprise being 8.43%.

Flowserve outpaced estimates twice in the preceding four quarters, the average earnings surprise being 0.49%.

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