MaxLinear (NASDAQ:MXL) Trading Down 10.1% – Here’s What Happened

MaxLinear, Inc (NASDAQ:MXL) was down 10.1% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $17.21 and last traded at $17.3240. Approximately 417,999 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 61% from the average daily volume of 1,077,104 shares. The stock had previously closed at $19.27.

Key MaxLinear News

Here are the key news stories impacting MaxLinear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results topped expectations: revenue of $136.4M and EPS of $0.19 beat consensus, and management highlighted data-center momentum in the quarter. This beat supports near-term revenue growth hopes. Q4 press release
• Positive Sentiment: Third‑party recognition: the stock was noted as joining a list of names with a 95+ composite rating, which can support investor interest and liquidity. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 FY2026 revenue guidance came in at $130M–$140M (vs. consensus ~$129.7M) — a slight beat on the midpoint but not a material upside; EPS guidance was not clearly provided, leaving earnings visibility limited.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst stance: Needham maintained a Hold rating, citing improving 2026 outlook and data‑center traction but offset by legal overhang — the Hold keeps sentiment muted rather than bullish. TipRanks / Needham note
• Negative Sentiment: SIMO arbitration overhang: analysts and the company highlighted an ongoing arbitration with SIMO (potential liability/uncertainty). That legal risk is explicitly cited as a key reason for conservative positioning and likely drove downside pressure. Read more
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability remains weak: the company still shows a negative net margin (~-42%) and negative ROE, and analysts model FY losses (consensus ~-0.37 EPS for the year), which keeps valuation concerns front‑of‑mind. Earnings summary

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on MXL. Williams Trading set a $25.00 price target on MaxLinear in a report on Friday, October 24th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $23.00 price target on shares of MaxLinear in a report on Friday, October 24th. Benchmark increased their price objective on shares of MaxLinear from $25.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of MaxLinear from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of MaxLinear in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $19.57.

MaxLinear Stock Down 13.8%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.55. The company has a market cap of $1.45 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.98 and a beta of 1.77. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $17.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $16.48.

MaxLinear (NASDAQ:MXL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The semiconductor company reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.01. MaxLinear had a negative net margin of 42.43% and a negative return on equity of 12.74%. The company had revenue of $136.44 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $134.82 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted ($0.09) EPS. The business’s revenue was up 48.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that MaxLinear, Inc will post -0.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MaxLinear announced that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Monday, November 24th that permits the company to buyback $75.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the semiconductor company to purchase up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MaxLinear

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of MaxLinear by 97.0% in the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,110 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,039 shares during the period. Quarry LP grew its holdings in MaxLinear by 1,293.0% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,187 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 2,030 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC bought a new position in MaxLinear in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $44,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MaxLinear by 104.4% during the second quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,579 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 1,828 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of MaxLinear by 917.6% in the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 3,175 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 2,863 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.79% of the company’s stock.

About MaxLinear

MaxLinear, Inc is a provider of radio-frequency (RF), analog, and mixed-signal integrated circuits for broadband communications, data center connectivity, and video infrastructure applications. The company’s product portfolio includes high-performance RF front-end modules, broadband power amplifiers, optical and Ethernet transceivers, and network processors designed to support demanding signal processing requirements.

MaxLinear’s semiconductor solutions are used by cable and satellite television operators, fiber-to-the-home service providers, network equipment manufacturers, and data center operators.