Applied Optoelectronics (NASDAQ:AAOI) CFO Sells $421,320.00 in Stock

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI) CFO Stefan Murry sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.33, for a total transaction of $421,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 367,168 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,673,805.44. The trade was a 1.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Applied Optoelectronics Trading Up 2.0%

Shares of Applied Optoelectronics stock opened at $105.36 on Friday. Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. has a twelve month low of $18.50 and a twelve month high of $233.67. The company has a quick ratio of 2.13, a current ratio of 2.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $114.43 and a 200-day moving average price of $131.36. The firm has a market cap of $8.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -135.08 and a beta of 3.79.

Applied Optoelectronics (NASDAQ:AAOI) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The semiconductor company reported $0.06 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.02 by $0.04. Applied Optoelectronics had a negative return on equity of 1.98% and a negative net margin of 9.57%.The company had revenue of $191.92 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $190.48 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned ($0.16) earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 86.3% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Optoelectronics has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.110-0.260 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. will post 0.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AAOI has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $178.00 target price on shares of Applied Optoelectronics in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Applied Optoelectronics in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Applied Optoelectronics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $220.00 price objective on shares of Applied Optoelectronics in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reduced their target price on shares of Applied Optoelectronics from $220.00 to $190.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $139.40.

Trending Headlines about Applied Optoelectronics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Optoelectronics is expanding capacity for 800G and 1.6T optical products as AI infrastructure investment drives demand for faster data-center connectivity. The growth opportunity strengthens AAOI’s competitive position against larger rivals such as Lumentum and Coherent. AAOI’s Optical Networking Demand Rise: Can It Beat LITE and COHR?
• Positive Sentiment: The company is expanding its operating footprint through the acquisition of a Houston facility, a move that could provide additional manufacturing or operational capacity to support expected customer demand. Applied Optoelectronics Expands Operations with Houston Facility Acquisition
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and investors continue comparing AAOI with networking and optical-component peers, including Arista Networks. The comparison highlights the company’s AI-networking opportunity but also its smaller scale, losses and high valuation risk. Critical Analysis: Arista Networks versus Applied Optoelectronics
• Negative Sentiment: Chief Financial Officer Stefan Murry sold 4,000 shares worth approximately $421,000, while director Hung-Lun Fred Chang previously sold 32,172 shares worth about $3.5 million. Murry’s transaction was conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and he retains a substantial position, reducing—but not eliminating—the bearish signal.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Optoelectronics

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AAOI. Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in shares of Applied Optoelectronics by 1,923.7% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 769 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 731 shares during the period. Comerica Bank purchased a new position in Applied Optoelectronics in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in Applied Optoelectronics by 166.7% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,200 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 750 shares in the last quarter. EFG International AG bought a new stake in Applied Optoelectronics during the 2nd quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Persistent Asset Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in Applied Optoelectronics in the 2nd quarter valued at about $47,000. 61.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Applied Optoelectronics Company Profile

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc develops and manufactures fiber-optic networking products and components. Its offerings include optical transceivers, transponders, modules and related equipment used to transmit data over fiber-optic networks.

The company serves several communications markets, including data centers, telecommunications, broadband access and cable television. Its products support applications such as high-speed data transmission, cloud computing, network infrastructure and fiber-based broadband services.

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, Applied Optoelectronics serves customers in North America, Asia and other international markets.