AXT Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NASDAQ:AXTI)

AXT Inc (NASDAQ:AXTI) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Friday. Traders bought 6,246 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 66% compared to the average daily volume of 3,767 call options.

AXT Trading Up 24.3%

AXTI traded up $5.79 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $29.60. 6,201,169 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,492,697. The firm has a market cap of $1.64 billion, a P/E ratio of -56.04 and a beta of 1.96. AXT has a 12-month low of $1.13 and a 12-month high of $30.80. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $19.48 and a 200 day moving average of $10.73.

AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The semiconductor company reported ($0.08) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $23.04 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.24 million. AXT had a negative net margin of 25.22% and a negative return on equity of 11.19%. As a group, research analysts expect that AXT will post -0.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on AXTI shares. Wedbush raised their price target on shares of AXT from $8.50 to $28.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Craig Hallum reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AXT in a research note on Friday, January 9th. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of AXT in a report on Friday. Northland Securities set a $20.00 price objective on AXT in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, UBS Group set a $35.00 price objective on shares of AXT in a report on Tuesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $22.20.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director David C. Chang sold 25,000 shares of AXT stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.84, for a total transaction of $371,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 132,744 shares in the company, valued at $1,969,920.96. The trade was a 15.85% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Morris S. Young sold 35,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.05, for a total transaction of $421,750.00. Following the transaction, 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 110,000 shares of company stock worth $1,369,000. 8.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AXT

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of AXTI. XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new stake in AXT in the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of AXT during the third quarter worth approximately $52,000. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of AXT during the fourth quarter worth approximately $69,000. Creative Planning acquired a new stake in AXT in the second quarter valued at approximately $86,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in AXT in the fourth quarter worth approximately $98,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 49.52% of the company’s stock.

AXT News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AXT this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wedbush raised its price target on AXT from $8.50 to $28.00 and initiated/maintains an “outperform” rating, implying ~17.6% upside from the reference price cited. This analyst upgrade is likely supporting buying interest. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: AXT published its Q4/FY2025 results and management commentary in a Business Wire release; the company noted fewer export permits than hoped in Q4 but said some permits have arrived in 2026 and management expects sequential revenue recovery. This provides context but leaves uncertainty around timing. Business Wire
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 2025 earnings call transcript is available for investors who want management commentary and color from the call. May help investors assess execution and export-permit progress. Seeking Alpha Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: AXT missed Q4 expectations: reported EPS of ($0.08) vs. consensus ($0.04) loss, and revenue of $23.04M vs. $24.24M expected. The miss and continued negative margins/ROE are downward earnings surprises that can pressure the stock. Zacks
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage and analysis note that export-permit hurdles (critical for shipments to certain customers and for AI chip material demand) cloud the near-term outlook — a fundamental headwind for revenue momentum. Investing.com
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional selling: Pacific Ridge Capital Partners sold ~1.7M AXT shares previously held, eliminating its stake — a sign some funds are locking gains or reducing exposure after recent run-ups. The Motley Fool
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data in the feed appears inconsistent (shows zero shares/NaN changes) and likely isn’t meaningful; short-interest trends should be checked on official exchange filings.

AXT Company Profile

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.