AXT Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:AXTI)

AXT Inc (NASDAQ:AXTI) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Stock traders acquired 6,246 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 66% compared to the typical volume of 3,767 call options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on AXTI shares. Craig Hallum restated a “buy” rating on shares of AXT in a report on Friday, January 9th. Wedbush increased their target price on shares of AXT from $8.50 to $28.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Needham & Company LLC downgraded shares of AXT from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. B. Riley Financial upped their price objective on shares of AXT to $21.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Northland Securities set a $20.00 price objective on shares of AXT in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $22.80.

Key AXT News

Here are the key news stories impacting AXT this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade/price target bump: Wedbush raised its price target to $28 and kept an “outperform” rating, which added institutional credibility and buy‑side interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call buying: Traders purchased roughly 6,246 call options (about a 66% jump vs. average), signaling speculative/hedged bullish positioning that can amplify upside momentum. (Options flow reported intraday.)
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum / market coverage: AXT was mentioned among equities moving higher in broader market roundups, which can attract momentum traders and headline‑driven flows. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company press release and call: AXT filed its Q4/fiscal‑2025 results and management said export permits were lower than hoped in Q4 but that some permits have since arrived and they expect sequential revenue improvement; that commentary reduces uncertainty if permits continue to clear. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Full call transcripts published (MSN, Seeking Alpha) — provide detail for investors evaluating management’s tone, guidance and permit timing. Read More. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings and revenue miss: AXT reported a ($0.05) EPS vs. a ($0.04) consensus and revenue of $23.04M vs. $24.24M expected — results show continuing losses and a negative margin profile, which are fundamental headwinds. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Export‑permit uncertainty: Outside coverage flagged that export hurdles cloud the near‑term outlook for AI‑chip substrate demand; delayed permits materially affected Q4 revenue and remain a risk until permit flow steadies. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Short interest / data quirks: Recent short‑interest entries reported odd/zero values and short‑ratio metrics that don’t indicate a clear squeeze signal; treat these figures cautiously until clarified.

Insider Transactions at AXT

In related news, CEO Morris S. Young sold 35,000 shares of AXT stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.05, for a total value of $421,750.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 2,495,564 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,071,546.20. The trade was a 1.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director David C. Chang sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.84, for a total value of $371,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 132,744 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,969,920.96. The trade was a 15.85% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 110,000 shares of company stock worth $1,369,000 over the last ninety days. 8.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of AXT

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. XTX Topco Ltd lifted its position in AXT by 173.7% in the fourth quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 35,201 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $576,000 after buying an additional 22,338 shares during the last quarter. SummitTX Capital L.P. purchased a new position in shares of AXT during the 4th quarter worth approximately $228,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL acquired a new stake in AXT in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $278,000. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in AXT by 577.2% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 205,503 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $3,360,000 after purchasing an additional 175,158 shares during the period. Finally, Gotham Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in AXT during the fourth quarter worth $1,041,000. 49.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AXT Price Performance

NASDAQ:AXTI opened at $29.68 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $19.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.92. AXT has a 1-year low of $1.13 and a 1-year high of $30.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -61.83 and a beta of 1.96.

AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The semiconductor company reported ($0.05) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.04) by ($0.01). AXT had a negative return on equity of 10.59% and a negative net margin of 24.07%.The firm had revenue of $23.04 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.24 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AXT will post -0.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About AXT

AXT, Inc (NASDAQ: AXTI) is a global supplier of compound and single-element semiconductor substrates, offering a range of materials critical for high-performance electronic and optoelectronic devices. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Fremont, California, AXT specializes in the development, manufacture and distribution of wafers composed of gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP), gallium nitride (GaN) and other compound semiconductor materials. These substrates serve as the foundational platforms for devices used in data communications, wireless infrastructure, advanced computing, consumer electronics and photovoltaic applications.

AXT’s product portfolio encompasses a variety of wafer sizes, dopant concentrations and crystal orientations, tailored to meet the precise specifications of its customers.