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

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI) insider Hung-Lun (Fred) Chang sold 36,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was 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 $23,420,204.50. The trade was a 13.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Applied Optoelectronics Price Performance

Shares of AAOI opened at $92.63 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $58.88 and its 200-day moving average is $39.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 2.63 and a quick ratio of 1.91. The company has a market capitalization of $6.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -142.51 and a beta of 3.20. Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $9.71 and a fifty-two week high of $128.96.

Applied Optoelectronics (NASDAQ:AAOI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The semiconductor company reported ($0.01) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.12) by $0.11. Applied Optoelectronics had a negative net margin of 8.39% and a negative return on equity of 5.29%. The business had revenue of $134.27 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $131.56 million. During the same period last year, the company posted ($0.02) earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 33.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Optoelectronics has set its Q1 2026 guidance at -0.090-0.000 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. will post -1.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on AAOI shares. B. Riley Financial raised Applied Optoelectronics from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $54.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Wall Street Zen raised Applied Optoelectronics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Northland Securities reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $55.00 price target on shares of Applied Optoelectronics in a report on Friday, February 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Applied Optoelectronics in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on Applied Optoelectronics from $43.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Applied Optoelectronics currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $52.80.

Trending Headlines about Applied Optoelectronics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company has secured large AI/data‑center demand and long‑term volume orders (including a reported 1.6T transceiver program that management says could be >$200M across 2026 ramp), supporting upside expectations for revenue. Applied Optoelectronics Rises — NVIDIA’s AI Data Centers
• Positive Sentiment: AOI showcased a 25dBm ultra‑high‑power ELSFP at OFC 2026, signaling product readiness for next‑gen AI infrastructure and reinforcing the company’s positioning in silicon‑photonic / co‑packaged optics supply chains. AOI Showcases 25dBm ELSFP at OFC
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts note rising CATV demand (1.8 GHz amplifiers) and a Q1 outlook that points to sequential revenue growth in that business line, adding a near‑term revenue tailwind beyond AI optics. Will Strong Demand for 1.8 GHz Amplifiers Boost AAOI’s CATV Growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market reports on short‑interest show anomalous “0 shares” figures and a 0.0 days‑to‑cover metric — likely data errors, so short‑interest signals are inconclusive for near‑term trading. (March 17–18 filings)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and media pieces note heavy institutional positioning and mixed analyst targets (buy and sell opinions), which can amplify intraday moves but do not change the underlying demand story. What’s Going On With Applied Optoelectronics Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Hung‑Lun (Fred) Chang sold 36,400 shares at an average $100.25 on March 16 (~$3.65M), reducing his stake ~13.5% — such sales can signal founder/executive liquidity needs and may pressure sentiment. Insider Sale Filing — Hung-Lun (Fred) Chang
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain sensitive to dilution risk after the company filed an at‑the‑market (ATM) program (up to $250M), and commentary suggests recent pullbacks were driven by profit‑taking and ATM/dilution concerns. That risk can cap rallies until execution and capital‑use plans are clarified. AAOI slides as investors weigh dilution risk
• Negative Sentiment: Some outlets reported sharp intraday drops tied to the timing or market reaction to the 1.6T transceiver news, underscoring high volatility around order announcements and execution milestones. AAOI Down After Securing Major 1.6T AI Transceiver Order

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Optoelectronics

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AAOI. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Applied Optoelectronics by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,982,660 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $173,696,000 after acquiring an additional 358,090 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Applied Optoelectronics by 5,208.9% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,512,309 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $122,439,000 after acquiring an additional 3,446,150 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its stake in shares of Applied Optoelectronics by 5,321.6% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 2,229,757 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $77,730,000 after acquiring an additional 2,188,630 shares in the last quarter. Hawk Ridge Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in Applied Optoelectronics by 106.2% in the 4th quarter. Hawk Ridge Capital Management LP now owns 1,700,900 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $59,293,000 after purchasing an additional 875,903 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in Applied Optoelectronics by 157.1% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,699,855 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $59,257,000 after purchasing an additional 1,038,775 shares during the last quarter. 61.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.