Nokia's stock has surged 73% in 2026, driven by strategic moves into AI and data center markets. The Finnish company, historically known for telecom equipment, has seen its shares rise 130% year-over-year. This growth follows the appointment of Justin Hotard as CEO in April 2025, who brought expertise from Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Intel, focusing on high-performance computing and AI. Nokia's acquisition of Infinera for $2.3 billion in 2024 has bolstered its optical networking capabilities, crucial for AI data centers. The company's optical network sales increased by 20% year-over-year in Q1 2026, with AI and cloud customer orders reaching €1 billion. Additionally, NVIDIA's $1 billion investment in Nokia to develop AI-RAN technology has positioned Nokia as a key player in the AI-driven telecom sector, further boosting its market value.