Ciena shares jump 5.55% intraday as S&P 500 inclusion and AI infrastructure demand drive growth.

Ciena Corporation (CIEN) surged 5.55% intraday after being announced as a new component of the S&P 500, replacing Dayforce. The inclusion, effective February 9, 2026, reflects strong institutional demand for the stock and aligns with robust AI infrastructure growth. Analysts highlighted that Ciena’s optical networking solutions are critical for expanding AI data center capacity, with CEO Gary Smith attributing 2026’s growth to rising AI hardware demand. This index addition is expected to attract passive and active fund inflows, further boosting liquidity and investor confidence.