Applied Optoelectronics (NASDAQ:AAOI) Insider Sells $3,649,100.00 in Stock

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI) insider Hung-Lun (Fred) Chang sold 36,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.25, for a total value of $3,649,100.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 233,618 shares in the company, valued at $23,420,204.50. This trade represents a 13.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Applied Optoelectronics Trading Up 7.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:AAOI traded up $6.30 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $92.63. The company had a trading volume of 15,221,205 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,893,263. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $57.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $39.41. The firm has a market cap of $6.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -142.51 and a beta of 3.20. Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. has a 1-year low of $9.71 and a 1-year high of $128.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a current ratio of 2.63.

Applied Optoelectronics (NASDAQ:AAOI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The semiconductor company reported ($0.01) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.12) by $0.11. The company had revenue of $134.27 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $131.56 million. Applied Optoelectronics had a negative net margin of 8.39% and a negative return on equity of 5.29%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 33.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.02) earnings per share. Applied Optoelectronics has set its Q1 2026 guidance at -0.090-0.000 EPS. Research analysts predict that Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. will post -1.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Optoelectronics News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Optoelectronics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Large hyperscaler demand and AI data‑center interest: coverage notes that AAOI’s lasers and optics are in high demand for AI data centers (NVIDIA and hyperscalers), supporting revenue upside and the company’s 1.6T transceiver ramp. Applied Optoelectronics Rises 7% — NVIDIA’s AI Data Centers Can’t Get Enough of Its Lasers
• Positive Sentiment: CATV amplifier demand — Zacks highlights strong demand for 1.8 GHz amplifiers that could lift CATV revenue and point to sequential improvement into Q1, adding a second growth lever beyond data‑center optics. Will Strong Demand for 1.8 GHz Amplifiers Boost AAOI’s CATV Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Product/demo momentum — AAOI showcased a 25dBm ultra‑high‑power ELSFP at OFC 2026 and emphasized its roadmap for silicon photonics/NPO/CPO, reinforcing its positioning in next‑gen AI optics. AOI Showcases 25dBm Ultra-High-Power ELSFP as the Foundation for Next-Gen AI Infrastructure at OFC 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed market coverage and intraday strength: some outlets report shares trading higher amid the broader Nasdaq weakness, reflecting momentum-driven moves rather than new fundamentals. What’s Going On With Applied Optoelectronics Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst stance: broker consensus sits around a “Hold,” reflecting divergent views on growth potential vs. execution/valuation risk. Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages
• Negative Sentiment: Dilution risk and profit‑taking: investors are focused on an at‑the‑market equity program (filing noted for up to $250M) plus recent insider sales, which have heightened dilution concerns and prompted pullbacks after a sharp AI‑driven run. AAOI slides 5.2% as investors weigh dilution risk after a sharp AI-optics-driven run
• Negative Sentiment: Sharp intraday sell‑off context: one headline notes a steep drop despite the major 1.6T transceiver order, illustrating how positive contracts can be offset by market concerns about execution, dilution and sell‑the‑news dynamics. Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) Is Down 28.4% After Securing Major 1.6T AI Transceiver Order – What’s Changed

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Optoelectronics

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AAOI. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Applied Optoelectronics by 10.4% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 25,579 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $393,000 after acquiring an additional 2,415 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Optoelectronics during the second quarter valued at $283,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its stake in Applied Optoelectronics by 3,828.0% in the second quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 8,838 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $227,000 after purchasing an additional 8,613 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Applied Optoelectronics by 18.8% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,285,693 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $33,034,000 after purchasing an additional 203,830 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey increased its position in Applied Optoelectronics by 38.1% in the 2nd quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 12,225 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $314,000 after purchasing an additional 3,372 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AAOI has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price objective on shares of Applied Optoelectronics from $43.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Wall Street Zen raised Applied Optoelectronics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. B. Riley Financial upgraded Applied Optoelectronics from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $54.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, February 27th. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of Applied Optoelectronics in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Northland Securities restated a “market perform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Applied Optoelectronics in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Optoelectronics presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $52.80.

About Applied Optoelectronics

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc develops and manufactures high-speed fiber-optic networking products designed to support the growing bandwidth demands of data centers, telecommunications carriers and internet content providers. The company’s core offerings include pluggable optical transceiver modules, transponders and optical components that enable data transmission at rates ranging from 1G to 400G. These products are used to facilitate long-haul, metro and intra-data center connectivity, addressing the need for scalable, low-latency and energy-efficient solutions in modern network infrastructures.

The company’s product portfolio spans small-form factor pluggable modules such as SFP+, QSFP+ and QSFP28 units, as well as more advanced form factors like CFP2 and OSFP for ultra-high-speed applications.