AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) CEO Morris Young Sells 125,893 Shares

AXT Inc (NASDAQ:AXTI) CEO Morris Young sold 125,893 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.51, for a total value of $4,596,353.43. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 2,344,065 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $85,581,813.15. This trade represents a 5.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

AXT Stock Up 14.9%

NASDAQ:AXTI traded up $5.74 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $44.30. 14,447,159 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,881,116. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $25.51 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $14.10. AXT Inc has a twelve month low of $1.13 and a twelve month high of $47.03.

AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The semiconductor company reported ($0.05) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $23.04 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.24 million. AXT had a negative net margin of 24.07% and a negative return on equity of 10.59%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that AXT Inc will post -0.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AXTI has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AXT from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. Northland Securities set a $20.00 price objective on AXT in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Wedbush lifted their price objective on AXT from $8.50 to $28.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Craig Hallum reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AXT in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC downgraded AXT from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $22.80.

More AXT News

Here are the key news stories impacting AXT this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call‑option buying — 14,442 calls traded (≈171% above average) — indicating strong short‑term bullish positioning/speculation that can amplify upward price moves via delta hedging and momentum trading.
• Positive Sentiment: AXT was highlighted among the “12 Best Performing Stocks in February,” reflecting recent momentum that can attract momentum and retail buyers. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest entries are inconsistent and show 0 shares / 0.0 days‑to‑cover with NaN changes — likely a data artifact. This provides little reliable signal about current bearish positioning or squeeze risk.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent Q4/FY2025 results were mixed to weak: revenue fell to ~$23.0M (down from prior quarter) and GAAP gross margin was ~20.9%; prior quarter earnings missed consensus (EPS modestly below estimates). Those fundamental datapoints can weigh on longer‑term sentiment. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Director Jesse Chen sold shares in early March (12,452 shares on Mar 9 at ~$37.69 and 2,000 shares on Mar 6 at ~$36.63), reducing his stake by several percent. Insider selling can be interpreted negatively even though he retains a meaningful holding. SEC filing: SEC Filing

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AXT

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in AXT by 12.4% during the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 22,952 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $103,000 after buying an additional 2,540 shares in the last quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of AXT by 30.1% during the 4th quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 14,967 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $245,000 after purchasing an additional 3,467 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in shares of AXT during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $69,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in AXT during the fourth quarter worth $98,000. Finally, Algert Global LLC increased its holdings in AXT by 31.9% in the 3rd quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 28,800 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $129,000 after buying an additional 6,970 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 49.52% of the company’s stock.

About AXT

AXT, Inc (NASDAQ: AXTI) is a global supplier of compound and single-element semiconductor substrates, offering a range of materials critical for high-performance electronic and optoelectronic devices. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Fremont, California, AXT specializes in the development, manufacture and distribution of wafers composed of gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP), gallium nitride (GaN) and other compound semiconductor materials. These substrates serve as the foundational platforms for devices used in data communications, wireless infrastructure, advanced computing, consumer electronics and photovoltaic applications.

AXT’s product portfolio encompasses a variety of wafer sizes, dopant concentrations and crystal orientations, tailored to meet the precise specifications of its customers.