AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) Director David Chang Sells 20,000 Shares

AXT Inc (NASDAQ:AXTI) Director David Chang sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.00, for a total value of $920,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 72,744 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,346,224. The trade was a 21.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

AXT Stock Up 8.1%

Shares of AXTI stock traded up $3.76 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $50.49. 6,989,667 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,459,487. The company has a market cap of $2.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -104.92 and a beta of 1.75. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $26.73 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.56. AXT Inc has a 1-year low of $1.13 and a 1-year high of $51.98.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on AXTI. Northland Securities set a $20.00 price target on shares of AXT in a report on Monday, December 22nd. B. Riley Financial raised their target price on AXT to $21.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Craig Hallum reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AXT in a report on Friday, January 9th. UBS Group set a $35.00 price target on AXT in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC downgraded AXT from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $22.80.

AXT News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AXT this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Shares jumped sharply (reported ~14.9% gain) on heavy volume, suggesting strong short-term buying momentum and renewed investor interest. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high options volume was reported, indicating speculative or directional positioning by traders that can amplify intraday moves. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/coverage feature examining AXT’s indium phosphide position and potential to benefit from AI demand — a strategic narrative that can support a higher valuation if revenue follows. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data in reports shows 0 shares (likely a data/reporting anomaly). That makes short-interest-driven squeezes hard to interpret from the published figures alone; ignore the raw zero number until exchanges/clearing update official data.
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling by top executives: multiple SEC filings show CEO Morris S. Young and directors sold substantial blocks on March 10–11 (CEO sale reported 30,832 shares at ~$45.60; Director David C. Chang sold 20,000 at $46.00; Director Jesse Chen sold 14,000 and 15,000 at ~ $46–$47). Aggregated coverage and filings point to a material, coordinated sell-off that can weigh on sentiment despite current momentum. See coverage and SEC filings: Read More.; Morris SEC filing: Read More.; Chang filing: Read More.; Chen filings: Read More.; additional coverage: Read More.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AXT

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of AXTI. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in AXT during the second quarter worth $42,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in AXT during the third quarter valued at $52,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in AXT during the 4th quarter worth about $69,000. Creative Planning bought a new position in shares of AXT in the 2nd quarter worth about $86,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of AXT in the 4th quarter worth about $98,000. 49.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.