Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI) Shares Purchased by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI) by 1,288.6% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 293,906 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after acquiring an additional 272,741 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s holdings in Applied Optoelectronics were worth $10,833,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. FMR LLC lifted its position in Applied Optoelectronics by 3,290.6% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 6,137 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $88,000 after acquiring an additional 5,956 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its stake in shares of Applied Optoelectronics by 3.4% during the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 14,667 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $210,000 after purchasing an additional 483 shares during the period. Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Optoelectronics during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $229,000. Chung Wu Investment Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Optoelectronics during the fourth quarter worth $262,000. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new position in shares of Applied Optoelectronics in the fourth quarter valued at $262,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.72% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Richard B. Black sold 10,000 shares of Applied Optoelectronics stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.00, for a total value of $290,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 157,813 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,576,577. This trade represents a 5.96 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Stefan J. Murry sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.06, for a total value of $46,120.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 196,581 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,533,157.86. The trade was a 1.01 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 18,298 shares of company stock worth $543,821. Insiders own 4.96% of the company’s stock.

Applied Optoelectronics Price Performance

Shares of Applied Optoelectronics stock opened at $11.25 on Tuesday. Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. has a 52 week low of $6.70 and a 52 week high of $44.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.61, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The stock has a market cap of $560.82 million, a PE ratio of -5.46 and a beta of 2.57. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $19.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $25.15.

Applied Optoelectronics (NASDAQ:AAOI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The semiconductor company reported ($0.09) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.02) by ($0.07). The business had revenue of $100.27 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $99.92 million. Applied Optoelectronics had a negative return on equity of 22.36% and a negative net margin of 38.61%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. will post -1.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on AAOI shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Applied Optoelectronics to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $36.00 target price on shares of Applied Optoelectronics in a research report on Friday, March 14th. Raymond James reduced their price target on Applied Optoelectronics from $31.00 to $20.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Northland Securities restated an “outperform” rating and set a $40.00 price objective (up from $25.00) on shares of Applied Optoelectronics in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. Finally, B. Riley upgraded Applied Optoelectronics from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $13.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $23.60.

Applied Optoelectronics Company Profile

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc designs, manufactures, and sells fiber-optic networking products in the United States, Taiwan, and China. It offers optical modules, optical filters, lasers, laser components, subassemblies, transmitters and transceivers, turn-key equipment, headend, node, distribution equipment, and amplifiers.