Hung-Lun (Fred) Chang Sells 36,400 Shares of Applied Optoelectronics (NASDAQ:AAOI) Stock

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

Applied Optoelectronics Stock Up 10.0%

Shares of AAOI stock opened at $101.92 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $60.25 and its 200 day moving average price is $40.22. Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. has a 1-year low of $9.71 and a 1-year high of $128.96. The company has a market cap of $7.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -156.80 and a beta of 3.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 2.63 and a quick ratio of 1.91.

Applied Optoelectronics (NASDAQ:AAOI) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 analysts’ expectations of $131.56 million. Applied Optoelectronics had a negative return on equity of 5.29% and a negative net margin of 8.39%.The firm’s revenue was up 33.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted ($0.02) earnings per share. Applied Optoelectronics has set its Q1 2026 guidance at -0.090-0.000 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. will post -1.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

More Applied Optoelectronics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company announced major AI/data‑center wins including a reported 1.6T transceiver program (management commentary suggests the program could exceed ~$200M across the 2026 ramp), supporting expectations for substantial revenue growth from hyperscaler customers. Applied Optoelectronics Soars 7.3% on Unveiling of Next-Gen AI Products
• Positive Sentiment: Product progress: AOI showcased a 25 dBm ultra‑high‑power ELSFP at OFC 2026—evidence of product readiness for next‑gen AI/co‑packaged optics deployments, which helps the company compete for silicon‑photonic supply chains. AOI Showcases 25dBm ELSFP at OFC
• Positive Sentiment: Near‑term revenue diversification: analysts flag stronger CATV demand (1.8 GHz amplifiers) with Q1 outlook pointing to sequential growth, providing a non‑AI revenue tailwind. Will Strong Demand for 1.8 GHz Amplifiers Boost AAOI’s CATV Growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short‑interest statistics show “0 shares” and a 0.0 days‑to‑cover metric — likely data errors. Short‑interest signals are inconclusive for near‑term positioning.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage/valuation pieces are proliferating (both bullish and cautious views). These amplify intraday moves and volatility but don’t by themselves change the underlying order/execution story. A Look At Applied Optoelectronics Valuation After New AI Data Center Networking Showcases
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: Director/executive Hung‑Lun (Fred) Chang sold 36,400 shares at ~$100.25 on March 16 (~$3.65M), reducing his stake ~13.5% — a visible distribution event that can weigh on sentiment. Insider Sale Filing — Hung-Lun (Fred) Chang
• Negative Sentiment: Dilution concerns remain after an at‑the‑market (ATM) program disclosure (up to $250M) and investor commentary tying past pullbacks to ATM/dilution risk — this can cap rallies until capital‑use is clarified. AAOI slides as investors weigh dilution risk
• Negative Sentiment: Market has shown sharp intraday reactions (including a reported ~28% drop linked to timing/interpretation of the 1.6T order), underscoring execution and timing risk for order fulfillment and revenue recognition. AAOI Down After Securing Major 1.6T AI Transceiver Order

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Optoelectronics

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Needham & Company LLC lifted their target price on shares of Applied Optoelectronics from $43.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Applied Optoelectronics in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $50.00 price objective on shares of Applied Optoelectronics in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Northland Securities reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Applied Optoelectronics in a report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, B. Riley Financial raised Applied Optoelectronics from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $54.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Optoelectronics currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $52.80.

Applied Optoelectronics Company Profile

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.