Baillie Gifford & Co. Sells 239,942 Shares of Aehr Test Systems $AEHR

Key Points

• Baillie Gifford reduced its stake in Aehr Test Systems by 15.7% in Q4, selling 239,942 shares and now holds 1,290,734 shares (about 4.21%) valued at ~$26.06 million.
• Company insiders have been net sellers recently — Director Rhea J. Posedel sold 30,000 shares for $2.1M and insiders sold 90,880 shares (≈$5.59M) in the last 90 days, though insiders still own 6.8% of the stock.
• AEHR has risen sharply (52-week low $7.71, high $74.53) and carries a $2.25B market cap, but remains unprofitable despite a recent EPS beat; analysts are mixed with an average "Hold" rating and a $68 consensus price target.

Baillie Gifford & Co. lessened its stake in shares of Aehr Test Systems (NASDAQ:AEHR - Free Report) by 15.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,290,734 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after selling 239,942 shares during the quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. owned about 4.21% of Aehr Test Systems worth $26,060,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Aehr Test Systems by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,288,190 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $68,897,000 after purchasing an additional 65,444 shares in the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Aehr Test Systems during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,920,000. Halter Ferguson Financial Inc. boosted its position in shares of Aehr Test Systems by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Halter Ferguson Financial Inc. now owns 453,012 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $13,640,000 after purchasing an additional 13,298 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Aehr Test Systems by 1,137.2% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 366,570 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $11,037,000 after purchasing an additional 336,940 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in shares of Aehr Test Systems by 33.4% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 361,264 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $10,878,000 after purchasing an additional 90,413 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.69% of the company's stock.

Aehr Test Systems Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AEHR opened at $71.66 on Tuesday. Aehr Test Systems has a fifty-two week low of $7.71 and a fifty-two week high of $74.53. The stock has a market cap of $2.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -188.58 and a beta of 2.28. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $38.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $29.70.

Aehr Test Systems (NASDAQ:AEHR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 7th. The semiconductor company reported ($0.05) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.07) by $0.02. Aehr Test Systems had a negative net margin of 25.23% and a negative return on equity of 7.15%. The business had revenue of $10.31 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.85 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Aehr Test Systems will post 0.1 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on AEHR shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Aehr Test Systems in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Aehr Test Systems from a "strong sell" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday. William Blair raised shares of Aehr Test Systems from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Craig Hallum raised shares of Aehr Test Systems from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $68.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Lake Street Capital reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Aehr Test Systems in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $68.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Rhea J. Posedel sold 30,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.00, for a total value of $2,100,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 426,979 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $29,888,530. This trade represents a 6.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Laura Oliphant sold 4,546 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.40, for a total transaction of $142,744.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 18,432 shares in the company, valued at approximately $578,764.80. The trade was a 19.78% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 90,880 shares of company stock worth $5,587,563 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 6.80% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Aehr Test Systems

Here are the key news stories impacting Aehr Test Systems this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Technical bullishness — AEHR’s 50-day SMA crossed above its 200-day SMA (a “golden cross”), supporting short-term momentum and drawing technical traders into the name. Aehr Test Systems (AEHR)'s Technical Outlook is Bright After Key Golden Cross
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative performance note — coverage comparing AEHR to tech peers highlights that the stock has outpaced parts of the sector this year, which may explain increased investor interest but doesn’t change fundamentals. Is Aehr Test Systems (AEHR) Stock Outpacing Its Computer and Technology Peers This Year?
• Negative Sentiment: Director sales — Director Fariba Danesh filed SEC disclosures showing sales on April 10 and April 13 totaling 10,500 shares for roughly $745k (average prices ~$70–71.5), materially reducing her stake; filings are available via the SEC. Large director sales can raise concerns about insider conviction and add selling pressure. SEC Filing — Danesh Sales
• Negative Sentiment: Additional insider/officer sales reported — Adil Engineer sold 13,085 shares per a market report, representing a sizable insider disposition that could weigh on near-term sentiment. Adil Engineer Sells 13,085 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: More insider selling — Donald Richmond II sold 15,751 shares, another significant insider sale disclosed in filings/reports that may amplify selling pressure. Donald Richmond II Sells 15,751 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: Officer sale — Laura Oliphant sold 3,000 shares, adding to the cluster of recent insider dispositions. Laura Oliphant Sells 3,000 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: Press aggregation — media reports summarize that company insiders sold roughly $2.1M in stock, underscoring the scale of insider liquidity events that investors are digesting. Aehr Test Systems Director Sells $2,100,000.00 in Stock

Aehr Test Systems Company Profile

Aehr Test Systems develops, manufactures and sells semiconductor test and burn-in equipment used by device manufacturers to ensure quality and reliability of integrated circuits. Its products are designed for wafer-level reliability assessment, functional test and stress screening of memory devices, system-on-chips, optical components and power semiconductors. By focusing on wafer-level burn-in and testing processes, the company helps reduce cost and improve yield for high-volume semiconductor production.

The company's product portfolio includes FOX series wafer probe test and burn-in systems as well as ABTS burn-in ovens.

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