Applied Optoelectronics (NASDAQ:AAOI) Trading Down 6.9% – Should You Sell?

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI) shares dropped 6.9% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $34.91 and last traded at $36.18. Approximately 2,987,151 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 10% from the average daily volume of 2,710,100 shares. The stock had previously closed at $38.88.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on AAOI. Raymond James lifted their target price on Applied Optoelectronics from $17.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Northland Securities increased their price objective on Applied Optoelectronics from $18.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. StockNews.com raised Applied Optoelectronics to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. B. Riley lowered shares of Applied Optoelectronics from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $14.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities upped their price target on shares of Applied Optoelectronics from $20.00 to $27.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $19.70.

Applied Optoelectronics Trading Up 1.8 %

The company has a market capitalization of $1.52 billion, a PE ratio of -16.06 and a beta of 2.36. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $24.85 and a 200 day simple moving average of $15.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.61.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Stefan J. Murry sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.56, for a total transaction of $157,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 216,129 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,821,031.24. This trade represents a 2.26 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director William H. Yeh sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.08, for a total transaction of $430,800.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 223,538 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,630,017.04. The trade was a 4.28 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 86,769 shares of company stock worth $2,813,037. 5.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Optoelectronics

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. California State Teachers Retirement System acquired a new position in Applied Optoelectronics during the 1st quarter worth approximately $511,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Applied Optoelectronics during the second quarter worth approximately $956,000. Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new position in Applied Optoelectronics in the second quarter valued at approximately $109,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its stake in Applied Optoelectronics by 272.1% in the second quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 9,281 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $77,000 after purchasing an additional 6,787 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers purchased a new position in Applied Optoelectronics in the second quarter valued at approximately $449,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.72% of the company’s stock.

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.