AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) Releases Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) issued an update on its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of -0.040–0.020 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS 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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on AXTI. Needham & Company LLC cut AXT from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. UBS Group set a $35.00 target price on shares of AXT in a research note on Tuesday. Craig Hallum restated a “buy” rating on shares of AXT in a research note on Friday, January 9th. B. Riley Financial lifted their price target on AXT to $21.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Wedbush increased their price objective on AXT from $8.50 to $28.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $22.80.

AXT Stock Performance

Shares of AXTI stock traded up $5.87 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $29.68. 14,448,955 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,092,002. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $19.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.92. The company has a market cap of $1.64 billion, a P/E ratio of -61.83 and a beta of 1.96. AXT has a 12 month low of $1.13 and a 12 month high of $30.80.

AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The semiconductor company reported ($0.05) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.04) by ($0.01). AXT had a negative net margin of 24.07% and a negative return on equity of 10.59%. The company had revenue of $23.04 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.24 million. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that AXT will post -0.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director David C. Chang sold 25,000 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $371,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 132,744 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,969,920.96. This trade represents a 15.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Morris S. Young sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.05, for a total value of $421,750.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 2,495,564 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $30,071,546.20. This trade represents a 1.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 110,000 shares of company stock worth $1,369,000 in the last three months. Company insiders own 8.80% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about AXT

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.

Institutional Trading of AXT

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. XTX Topco Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of AXT by 173.7% in the fourth quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 35,201 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $576,000 after buying an additional 22,338 shares during the period. SummitTX Capital L.P. purchased a new position in AXT during the 4th quarter worth approximately $228,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL acquired a new stake in AXT during the 4th quarter valued at $278,000. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in AXT by 577.2% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 205,503 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $3,360,000 after purchasing an additional 175,158 shares during the period. Finally, Gotham Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AXT in the fourth quarter valued at $1,041,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.