Nokia отчиталась за Q2 2026: прибыль +18%, спрос на AI-дата-центры удвоил облачные продажи

Nokia posted comparable operating profit of €434 million for the second quarter of 2026 — up 18% from the same period a year earlier and notably above the analyst consensus (€382 million, according to an LSEG poll). Revenue climbed to €4.82 billion, driven by demand from companies racing to build AI data centers.

What the quarterly report showed

Nokia's comparable operating profit came in at €434 million versus the €382 million that LSEG-polled analysts had expected on average — beating the forecast by nearly 14%. Net sales rose 8% year-on-year to €4.82 billion, or 9% at constant currency. "Comparable" profit excludes one-off items such as restructuring charges, so it reflects operating dynamics more accurately than net IFRS profit. The Finnish vendor attributes the 18% growth to a wave of infrastructure investment by telecom and cloud players.

• Comparable operating profit — €434 million (+18% year-on-year)
• LSEG analyst forecast — €382 million; actual result came in higher
• Net sales — €4.82 billion (+8%, or +9% at constant currency)
• Key driver — construction of AI data centers
• Reporting period — second quarter of 2026 (April–June)

Why sales grew

Nokia's sales are rising because of the AI data center construction boom. Hyperscalers and cloud providers are buying networking and optical equipment to link accelerator clusters together — and it's precisely this demand that, according to TheNextWeb, pushed quarterly revenue to €4.82 billion. For Nokia, a business associated with mobile networks for decades, data centers are becoming a new growth point alongside the telecom segment.

The gap between the €382 million forecast and the €434 million actual result shows that analysts underestimated how quickly this demand is converting into profit.

"The result was driven by companies racing to build AI data centers,"

TheNextWeb reported, citing Nokia's quarterly earnings.

Data centers as an industry driver

Demand for AI infrastructure isn't going only to chipmakers. Every new accelerator cluster needs optical lines, switches, and high-speed networks — a segment where Nokia has historically been strong since acquiring Alcatel-Lucent. As hyperscalers ramp up AI capex, orders for this equipment grow alongside it. Quarterly revenue of €4.82 billion and profit of €434 million show that this demand is already showing up in the financials, not just remaining a promise for the future.

What it means

Nokia's report is another signal that AI-boom money is spreading wider than just "the GPU makers": infrastructure suppliers of optics and networking equipment are cashing in too. Profit up 18% and revenue of €4.82 billion turn talk about "pipes for AI" into concrete numbers from a telecom vendor. For investors, that's a reason to look more closely at the entire AI supply chain, not just the chipmakers.

Frequently asked questions

How much did

Nokia's profit grow in the second quarter of 2026?

Comparable operating profit grew 18% year-on-year to €434 million, beating the LSEG analyst consensus forecast of €382 million.

Why is demand for Nokia's equipment growing?

The main driver is the construction of AI data centers. Companies are buying Nokia's networking and optical equipment to connect computing clusters, which lifted revenue 8% year-on-year to €4.82 billion.

How does the AI data center boom help telecom vendors?

AI data centers need optical networks and switches to connect servers. Nokia supplies this equipment, so the construction boom directly increases orders — in Q2 2026 this delivered +8% revenue growth.