Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) Updates Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) updated its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 0.710-0.710 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 0.900. The company issued revenue guidance of $195.0 million-$195.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $204.1 million.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on ACLS shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Axcelis Technologies in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded Axcelis Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 3rd. B. Riley Financial lifted their price objective on Axcelis Technologies from $84.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Axcelis Technologies from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Axcelis Technologies from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $102.25.

Axcelis Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ACLS traded up $3.95 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $98.50. 1,684,199 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 669,536. The company’s 50 day moving average is $88.30 and its 200 day moving average is $85.45. Axcelis Technologies has a one year low of $40.40 and a one year high of $102.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 4.95 and a quick ratio of 3.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.02 billion, a PE ratio of 23.29 and a beta of 1.77.

Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The semiconductor company reported $1.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.12 by $0.37. Axcelis Technologies had a net margin of 15.93% and a return on equity of 14.58%. The company had revenue of $238.33 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $215.04 million. Axcelis Technologies has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.710-0.710 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Axcelis Technologies will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Axcelis Technologies news, EVP Gerald M. Blumenstock sold 3,034 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.46, for a total value of $271,421.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 18,661 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,669,413.06. The trade was a 13.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Jorge Titinger sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.05, for a total transaction of $172,100.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 7,477 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $643,395.85. The trade was a 21.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Axcelis Technologies

Here are the key news stories impacting Axcelis Technologies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beats on both EPS and revenue — Axcelis reported non‑GAAP EPS of $1.49 (above consensus) and revenue of $238.3M, with strong gross margins reported by management. This print establishes near‑term profitability strength versus expectations. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company provided full release and slide deck — management issued a slide deck and formal release with detailed metrics (GAAP vs non‑GAAP results, margins, cash balances) for investors to review. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Data oddities on short interest — public short‑interest snapshots show zeros and 0.0 days‑to‑cover, which appears to be reporting noise and shouldn’t be interpreted as a genuine positioning signal right now.
• Negative Sentiment: Soft Q1 2026 guidance — Axcelis guided Q1 EPS to $0.71 (company range 0.710–0.710) vs. the Street at ~$0.90, and revenue guidance of $195M vs. consensus ~$204.1M. That guidance downgrade is the main source of downward pressure and explains mixed market reactions. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Underlying operational trends and sales activity — some third‑party summaries highlight YoY declines in operating profit, net income and softer operating cash flow, and note recent insider sales; these items add caution for investors awaiting clearer guidance on demand. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction commentary — some outlets report shares tumbled on the soft guidance despite the beat, indicating investors are focused on forward guidance more than the quarter’s upside. Read More.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Axcelis Technologies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vise Technologies Inc. boosted its position in Axcelis Technologies by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 2,937 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $236,000 after buying an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Axcelis Technologies by 21.5% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,163 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $95,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Axcelis Technologies by 145.1% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 451 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares during the period. State of Wisconsin Investment Board increased its holdings in shares of Axcelis Technologies by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. State of Wisconsin Investment Board now owns 50,506 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $4,058,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its position in shares of Axcelis Technologies by 12.1% during the 4th quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 2,898 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $233,000 after purchasing an additional 313 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.98% of the company’s stock.

About Axcelis Technologies

Axcelis Technologies, Inc is a leading developer and manufacturer of ion implantation and cleaning equipment used in the fabrication of semiconductor chips. The company specializes in high-current, medium-current and high-energy ion implantation systems, which are critical for introducing precisely controlled dopants into silicon wafers. Axcelis also offers plasma-based cleaning and dry strip tools that support advanced process nodes in logic, memory and power device manufacturing.

The company’s product portfolio encompasses single-wafer and multi-wafer cluster tools designed to deliver high throughput, accuracy and uniformity for semiconductor process steps.