Nokia Reports 4% Sales Growth in Q1 Driven by AI Boom
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 23 2026
0mins
Should l Buy NOK?
Source: stocktwits
- Sales Performance Boost: Nokia's Q1 net sales rose 4% to €4.50 billion, primarily driven by a 6% increase in network infrastructure and 3% in mobile infrastructure, indicating strong market performance.
- Increased Optical Network Investment: Due to soaring demand for optical networks, Nokia raised its net sales growth forecast for this segment from 6%-8% to 12%-14%, enhancing its competitive edge in AI and cloud services.
- Optimistic Profit Outlook: The company forecasts a 5% to 9% increase in net sales for the current quarter, with full-year operating profit expected between €2 billion and €2.5 billion, indicating a positive outlook for Nokia's profitability.
- Market Sentiment Shift: Retail trader sentiment towards Nokia shifted from neutral to bullish, with messaging volumes significantly increasing, reflecting confidence in the company's growth potential, particularly in optical networks and AI investments.
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Analyst Views on NOK
Wall Street analysts forecast NOK stock price to fall
7 Analyst Rating
5 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 12.910
Low
6.50
Averages
7.36
High
8.50
Current: 12.910
Low
6.50
Averages
7.36
High
8.50
About NOK
Nokia Oyj is a Finland-based company engaged in the network and Internet protocol (IP) infrastructure, software, and related services market. The Company's businesses include Nokia Networks and Nokia Technologies. The Company's segments include Ultra Broadband Networks, IP Networks and Applications, and Nokia Technologies. The Ultra Broadband Networks segment comprises Mobile Networks and Fixed Networks operating segments. The IP Networks and Applications segment comprises IP/Optical Networks and Applications & Analytics operating segments. The Applications & Analytics operating segment offers software solutions spanning customer experience management, network operations and management, communications and collaboration, policy and charging, as well as Cloud, Internet of things (IoT), security, and analytics platforms that enable digital services providers and enterprises to accelerate and optimize their customer experience. The Company has Comptel Oyj among its subsidiaries.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Analyst Upgrades: A series of analysts, including Barclays, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan, have raised their price targets in the past week, with 11 out of 23 analysts currently rating the stock as 'Buy', indicating optimism about its future performance.
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- Growth in AI and Cloud Revenue: Nokia anticipates nearly 50% growth in AI and cloud revenue by 2026, shifting focus from traditional 5G to AI-native 6G and AI-RAN, indicating the company's proactive adaptation to market changes and its pursuit of emerging opportunities.
- Optimistic Retail Sentiment: Retail sentiment on Stocktwits is deemed 'extremely bullish' with very high message volumes, as investors are encouraged to invest in Nokia after missing out on NVDA or AMD's recent bull runs, reflecting strong market confidence in its future performance.
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- Strong Demand Driving Growth: Last week, Nokia reported strong demand for its AI networking hardware and raised its 2026 revenue growth outlook for its maintenance networking segment to 12%-14%, significantly higher than the previous forecast of 6%-8%, indicating the company's strengthening position in the AI sector.
- Impressive Stock Performance: Nokia's U.S.-listed shares rose 5.4% on Tuesday to reach a new record close, adding 1.6% in after-hours trading, marking four consecutive days of gains, and if this trend continues, it would represent the stock's best monthly performance since October 2025, reflecting positive market sentiment following its earnings report.
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See More
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