AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) Stock Price Up 4.8% - Here's Why

Key Points

• AXT shares rose 4.8% to $76.47, with trading volume below the stock’s average session volume.
• The company’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, reporting $0.19 EPS versus $0.07 expected and revenue of $47.59 million versus the $34.08 million consensus estimate.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive: AXT has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and a $77 average price target, while institutional ownership stands at 49.52%.

AXT Inc (NASDAQ:AXTI - Get Free Report)'s share price shot up 4.8% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $76.46 and last traded at $76.47. 4,126,692 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 60% from the average session volume of 10,239,283 shares. The stock had previously closed at $72.98.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of AXT from a "sell (d-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. B. Riley Financial cut their target price on AXT from $73.00 to $52.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Northland Securities set a $125.00 target price on AXT in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Needham & Company LLC upgraded AXT from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $90.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded AXT from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, AXT presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $77.00.

AXT Trading Up 7.3%

The company has a market capitalization of $5.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 3,927.55 and a beta of 1.92. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $64.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $73.71.

AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The semiconductor company reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.07 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $47.59 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $34.08 million. AXT had a return on equity of 0.96% and a net margin of 3.23%.AXT has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.300-0.320 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that AXT Inc will post 0.8 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AXT

In related news, Director Leonard Leblanc sold 4,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.07, for a total value of $384,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 113,129 shares in the company, valued at $10,868,303.03. This trade represents a 3.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 5.97% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AXT

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AXTI. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of AXT during the second quarter valued at $365,607,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its stake in shares of AXT by 161.9% in the first quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,505,354 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $85,775,000 after purchasing an additional 930,526 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in shares of AXT by 112.0% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 776,300 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $44,234,000 after purchasing an additional 410,181 shares during the last quarter. Ariose Capital Management Ltd acquired a new stake in AXT in the first quarter valued at $39,061,000. Finally, Monolith Management Ltd acquired a new stake in AXT in the fourth quarter valued at $7,308,000. 49.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About AXT

AXT, Inc NASDAQ: AXTI develops and manufactures compound semiconductor substrates used to produce high-performance electronic and optoelectronic devices. Its product portfolio includes gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP), and germanium substrates, along with related materials and services supporting semiconductor manufacturing.

The company's substrates are used in applications such as wireless communications, fiber-optic and data-center networking, optical sensing, laser devices, aerospace and defense systems, and solar cells.

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