AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) Updates Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance
by Michael Walen · The Markets DailyAXT (NASDAQ:AXTI – Get Free Report) issued an update on its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of -0.040–0.020 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of -0.050. The company issued revenue guidance of $26.0 million-$26.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $24.8 million.
AXT Stock Up 24.7%
AXTI traded up $5.87 during trading on Friday, reaching $29.68. The company had a trading volume of 14,448,955 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,781,449. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $19.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $10.73. The stock has a market cap of $1.64 billion, a P/E ratio of -57.08 and a beta of 1.96. AXT has a 52 week low of $1.13 and a 52 week high of $30.80.
AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI – Get Free Report) last announced 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 firm had revenue of $23.04 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.24 million. AXT had a negative net margin of 25.22% and a negative return on equity of 11.19%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that AXT will post -0.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
AXTI has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. B. Riley Financial increased their price objective on shares of AXT to $21.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. UBS Group set a $35.00 target price on AXT in a research note on Tuesday. Craig Hallum reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of AXT in a report on Friday, January 9th. Needham & Company LLC lowered AXT from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Northland Securities set a $20.00 price objective on AXT in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, AXT currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $22.80.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on AXT
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, CEO Morris S. Young sold 35,000 shares of AXT stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.05, for a total transaction of $421,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 2,495,564 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,071,546.20. The trade was a 1.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director David C. Chang sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.84, for a total value of $371,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 132,744 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,969,920.96. The trade was a 15.85% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 110,000 shares of company stock worth $1,369,000. Corporate insiders own 8.80% of the company’s stock.
More AXT News
Here are the key news stories impacting AXT this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade/price target bump: Wedbush raised its price target to $28 and kept an “outperform” rating, which added institutional credibility and buy‑side interest. Read More.
- Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call buying: Traders purchased roughly 6,246 call options (about a 66% jump vs. average), signaling speculative/hedged bullish positioning that can amplify upside momentum. (Options flow reported intraday.)
- Positive Sentiment: Momentum / market coverage: AXT was mentioned among equities moving higher in broader market roundups, which can attract momentum traders and headline‑driven flows. Read More.
- Neutral Sentiment: Company press release and call: AXT filed its Q4/fiscal‑2025 results and management said export permits were lower than hoped in Q4 but that some permits have since arrived and they expect sequential revenue improvement; that commentary reduces uncertainty if permits continue to clear. Read More.
- Neutral Sentiment: Full call transcripts published (MSN, Seeking Alpha) — provide detail for investors evaluating management’s tone, guidance and permit timing. Read More. Read More.
- Negative Sentiment: Earnings and revenue miss: AXT reported a ($0.05) EPS vs. a ($0.04) consensus and revenue of $23.04M vs. $24.24M expected — results show continuing losses and a negative margin profile, which are fundamental headwinds. Read More.
- Negative Sentiment: Export‑permit uncertainty: Outside coverage flagged that export hurdles cloud the near‑term outlook for AI‑chip substrate demand; delayed permits materially affected Q4 revenue and remain a risk until permit flow steadies. Read More.
- Neutral Sentiment: Short interest / data quirks: Recent short‑interest entries reported odd/zero values and short‑ratio metrics that don’t indicate a clear squeeze signal; treat these figures cautiously until clarified.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On AXT
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. bought a new position in AXT in the fourth quarter worth about $20,187,000. Jane Street Group LLC raised its stake in shares of AXT by 1,314.6% during the 4th quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 904,599 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $14,790,000 after acquiring an additional 840,650 shares in the last quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC lifted its position in AXT by 339.6% during the third quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 405,978 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,823,000 after acquiring an additional 313,618 shares during the last quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in AXT in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,085,000. Finally, Boothbay Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in AXT in the fourth quarter worth $3,618,000. Institutional investors own 49.52% of the company’s stock.
AXT Company Profile
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.