Leonard Leblanc Sells 2,000 Shares of AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) Stock

AXT Inc (NASDAQ:AXTI) Director Leonard Leblanc sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.31, for a total value of $176,620.00. Following the sale, the director owned 117,129 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,343,661.99. This trade represents a 1.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

AXT Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AXTI opened at $73.12 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3,656.00 and a beta of 1.90. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $67.75 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $67.64. AXT Inc has a 52-week low of $2.39 and a 52-week high of $143.16.

AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. AXT had a net margin of 3.23% and a return on equity of 0.96%. The company had revenue of $47.59 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.08 million. AXT has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.300-0.320 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that AXT Inc will post 0.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on AXTI. Weiss Ratings raised shares of AXT from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. B. Riley Financial reduced their price objective on shares of AXT from $73.00 to $52.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of AXT from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Northland Securities set a $125.00 target price on shares of AXT in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, UBS Group set a $90.00 target price on shares of AXT in a report on Friday, July 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $77.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AXTI. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in AXT by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 293,818 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $412,000 after buying an additional 8,039 shares in the last quarter. Creative Planning purchased a new position in shares of AXT in the second quarter worth $86,000. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in shares of AXT during the second quarter worth $42,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP bought a new position in shares of AXT during the third quarter worth $145,000. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in AXT during the third quarter valued at $52,000. 49.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AXT News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AXT this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AXT’s indium phosphide (InP) business is showing strong momentum, with record revenue, a backlog exceeding $100 million and planned capacity expansion. Demand from AI data centers and optical networking could provide a multiyear growth opportunity. AXT’s InP Demand Is Surging: Can It Become a Long-Term Growth Driver?
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that indium phosphide supply is tightening, alongside new AI-related deals, have supported the bullish view that AXT may benefit from rising demand for optical components used in high-speed data centers. Why AXT Is Up 11.6% After Indium Phosphide Supply Tightens Amid New AI Deals
• Neutral Sentiment: AXT’s latest quarterly results were materially better than expected, with earnings per share of $0.19 versus a $0.07 consensus estimate and revenue of $47.59 million versus $34.08 million. Management guided to third-quarter 2026 EPS of $0.30-$0.32, though the stock’s exceptionally high valuation leaves limited room for disappointment.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinion remains mixed but leans positive: AXT has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $77, while price targets range from $52 to $125. A Tradr ETF including AXT could improve visibility and investor access, but its direct fundamental impact is uncertain.
• Negative Sentiment: AXTI has faced a broader selloff in optics and AI-hardware shares as investors reassess the pace of AI spending and lock in gains after the sector’s major rally. This risk-off environment is currently outweighing the company’s favorable InP outlook. Optics Stocks Drop on Anthropic News
• Negative Sentiment: Director Leonard Leblanc has repeatedly reduced his stake, selling 4,000 shares on August 17 for about $384,280, 2,000 shares on August 7 and 500 shares in June. Although he still owns more than 113,000 shares, the pattern may weigh modestly on investor sentiment. Insider Selling: AXT Director Sells Shares

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.