China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. Buys 9,500 Shares of Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI)

China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI - Free Report) by 31.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 40,000 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after buying an additional 9,500 shares during the period. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned 0.07% of Applied Optoelectronics worth $614,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Applied Optoelectronics in the 4th quarter valued at $38,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Applied Optoelectronics by 858.2% during the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 1,284 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 1,150 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in Applied Optoelectronics in the 4th quarter worth $63,000. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. raised its position in Applied Optoelectronics by 17.6% in the 4th quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 4,262 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $157,000 after purchasing an additional 637 shares during the period. Finally, Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Applied Optoelectronics in the fourth quarter valued at about $229,000. 61.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Applied Optoelectronics Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AAOI traded up $0.15 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $28.40. 3,145,157 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,729,636. The company's 50-day moving average is $20.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The company has a market capitalization of $1.58 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.36 and a beta of 2.78. Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. has a 1 year low of $6.70 and a 1 year high of $44.50.

Applied Optoelectronics (NASDAQ:AAOI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The semiconductor company reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $99.86 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $99.37 million. Applied Optoelectronics had a negative net margin of 55.98% and a negative return on equity of 15.40%. The business's revenue was up 145.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($0.31) EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. will post -1.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Applied Optoelectronics in a report on Tuesday. They issued a "peer perform" rating for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Applied Optoelectronics from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 21st. Raymond James Financial lowered their target price on shares of Applied Optoelectronics from $20.00 to $18.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Rosenblatt Securities boosted their price target on shares of Applied Optoelectronics from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. Finally, Northland Securities boosted their price target on shares of Applied Optoelectronics to $50.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, June 13th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Optoelectronics presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $24.80.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Hung-Lun (Fred) Chang sold 23,837 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.06, for a total transaction of $454,333.22. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 278,842 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,314,728.52. This represents a 7.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Stefan J. Murry sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.05, for a total transaction of $32,100.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 321,036 shares in the company, valued at $5,152,627.80. The trade was a 0.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 39,263 shares of company stock valued at $726,570. 4.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Applied Optoelectronics

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.