Nokia Reclaims Euro STOXX 50 Berth as AI Networking Deals Pile Up

Nokia returns to the Euro STOXX 50 on Monday, displacing Volkswagen, after AI-RAN field trials with eight carriers and fresh optical orders.

Nokia is set to rejoin the Euro STOXX 50 at Monday's market open, capping a week in which the Finnish network equipment maker unveiled a string of artificial intelligence partnerships and booked fresh optical infrastructure orders. The return to Europe's benchmark index follows the annual review by index provider STOXX, with Nokia displacing automaker Volkswagen in the 50-member gauge.

The stock finished Friday's European session at EUR 9.35. Since the start of the year, the shares have climbed 67%, a recovery that has coincided with a marked acceleration in the company's mobile and network infrastructure technology.

Eight Operators Take AI-RAN From Lab to Field

The clearest sign of that momentum came Wednesday, when Nokia said its in-house AI-RAN platform had moved beyond pure evaluation into live field trials with eight carriers worldwide. The roster includes A1 Group, Chunghwa Telecom, du, e&, Mobily, stc, TPG Telecom and Zain Saudi. Nokia is relying on NVIDIA's Aerial RAN Computer to supply the underlying compute power.

According to the company, the trials have delivered spectrum efficiency gains of more than 20%. For mobile operators, squeezing more capacity out of existing airwaves is a critical lever as data traffic swells, sparing them the expense of acquiring additional radio frequencies.

Microsoft Alliance Targets Agentic Network Operations

A day later, Nokia struck an expanded partnership with Microsoft to build an agent-based, unified data layer for network operators. The goal is faster and more dependable AI-driven workflows across telecom operations, with Microsoft supplying software and technology while Nokia contributes its expertise as a communications network vendor.

The company is also pushing specialized applications for security and industrial customers. On Wednesday, its Nokia Defense unit agreed to team up with C3IA to speed digital transformation in British defense operations. That followed the earlier launch of Cognitive Operations, a platform aimed at demanding environments such as mining, construction and public safety.

Optical Orders Span Three Continents

Infrastructure wins arrived throughout the week. On Tuesday, operator Telxius began installing Nokia's pluggable 800G optical modules built on IP-over-DWDM technology. The gear is being deployed in terrestrial transport networks across Europe, the US and Latin America to handle capacity demands from data centers and cloud applications.

Two days earlier, Spanish internet exchange ESpanix disclosed it had adopted the Deepfield Defender security system to shield traffic from DDoS attacks. In the US, Planters Broadband Cooperative selected Nokia to build an AI-capable fiber network serving communities in southeastern Georgia.

Wall Street Takes Notice

The technological repositioning drew attention from US analysts. Rosenblatt Securities upgraded the stock to "Strong Buy" on Wednesday, having initiated coverage a day earlier with a buy rating and a USD 15 price target, citing Nokia's positioning in optical networks amid spending on AI infrastructure. B. Riley Financial followed on Thursday, launching coverage with a "Buy" rating and the same USD 15 target.

With the index change taking effect at the start of the trading week, Nokia moves back into the spotlight for institutional investors and passive funds that track the European benchmark — a mechanical reweighting that shifts demand for the shares without altering the company's underlying value.