AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) Issues Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on AXTI. B. Riley Financial boosted their target price on shares of AXT to $21.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. UBS Group set a $35.00 price objective on shares of AXT in a research note on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AXT from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Craig Hallum reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AXT in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Northland Securities set a $20.00 price target on shares of AXT in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $22.80.

AXT Stock Up 24.7%

Shares of AXT stock opened at $29.68 on Friday. AXT has a 12-month low of $1.13 and a 12-month high of $30.80. The company has a market capitalization of $1.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -61.83 and a beta of 1.96. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $19.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.98.

AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The semiconductor company reported ($0.05) EPS 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 analyst estimates of $24.24 million. AXT had a negative net margin of 24.07% and a negative return on equity of 10.59%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that AXT will post -0.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at AXT

In other news, Director David C. Chang sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.84, for a total transaction of $371,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 132,744 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,969,920.96. The trade was a 15.85% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Morris S. Young sold 35,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 4th. The stock was 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 approximately $30,071,546.20. This represents a 1.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 110,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,369,000. Company insiders own 8.80% of the company’s stock.

AXT News Summary

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 Inflows and Outflows

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