AXT, Inc. (NASDAQ:AXTI) saw unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Stock traders purchased 1,328 call options on the company. This is an increase of 1,228% compared to the average daily volume of 100 call options.
In related news, CEO Morris S. Young sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.35, for a total value of $147,000.00. Also, CEO Morris S. Young sold 37,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.01, for a total transaction of $370,370.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 141,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,215,290. 8.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AXTI. Millrace Asset Group Inc. boosted its stake in AXT by 45.2% in the 3rd quarter. Millrace Asset Group Inc. now owns 416,734 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $2,550,000 after buying an additional 129,733 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC grew its position in AXT by 9.9% in the second quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 158,279 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $753,000 after acquiring an additional 14,254 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP boosted its position in AXT by 8.2% during the second quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 123,500 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $588,000 after buying an additional 9,400 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement System raised its stake in AXT by 4.5% in the third quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 90,307 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $553,000 after buying an additional 3,900 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of AXT by 10.2% during the second quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 65,506 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $312,000 after purchasing an additional 6,067 shares in the last quarter. 61.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
With most investors focused on big tech, a frenzy is quietly erupting in one tiny sector, with gains like 500% in two months and 104% in a single day.
A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. B. Riley downgraded shares of AXT from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $6.60 price target for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of AXT from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 29th. BWS Financial raised their price objective on shares of AXT from $10.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 17th. Finally, Craig Hallum raised their price objective on shares of AXT from $7.50 to $12.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 17th.
AXTI stock opened at $12.35 on Friday. AXT has a twelve month low of $1.85 and a twelve month high of $12.45. The company’s 50 day moving average is $10.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $6.81. The stock has a market cap of $510.06 million, a P/E ratio of -411.53 and a beta of 2.29.
AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) last announced its earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The semiconductor company reported $0.02 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $25.47 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.13 million. AXT had a negative net margin of 1.01% and a negative return on equity of 0.46%. On average, equities analysts predict that AXT will post 0.05 EPS for the current year.
AXT Company Profile
AXT, Inc researches, develops, and produces compound and single element semiconductor substrates. It produces semiconductor substrates using its proprietary vertical gradient freeze technology. The company offers indium phosphide (InP) for use in fiber optic lasers and detectors, passive optical networks, data center connectivity, silicon photonics, photonic integrated circuits, terrestrial solar cells, radio frequency amplifier and switching, infrared light-emitting diode (LEDs) motion control, and infrared thermal imaging, as well as for 5G.
Featured Story: Marijuana Stocks Investing Considerations
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat’s editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]
7 Stocks to Buy For the Gig Economy
Before the global pandemic, it was referred to as a side hustle—a way for some individuals to make a little extra money. However, as the pandemic has changed the nature of how we work, and as consumers how we spend, the gig economy has become an essential way of life for many workers.
There is much that’s not known about the long-term effects of the pandemic. But if there’s one lesson we learn from history, it’s that there will be ripple effects. We believe that society will get back to something resembling normal. However, what that normal looks like may be different.
Americans were becoming less social since before the pandemic. Now consumers have begun to realize there truly is no reason to leave their house to shop for anything. And while many crave physical connection during these times, there will be many that have changed their purchasing habits for good.
Other elements of the gig economy, such as ride-hailing and home rentals, were devastated due to the pandemic. Those businesses are likely to come back.
And that’s why companies that have created the gig economy aren’t going away anytime soon. In this special report, we’ll highlight several stocks that investors should consider as the gig economy moves forward.
