AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI) Upgraded by Needham & Company LLC to Buy Rating

Posted by George Bondi on Aug 1st, 2026

Needham & Company LLC upgraded shares of AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI – Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Friday, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has $90.00 price objective on the semiconductor company’s stock.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded AXT from a “sell (e+)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. B. Riley Financial lowered their target price on AXT from $73.00 to $52.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Northland Securities set a $125.00 target price on shares of AXT in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AXT currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $77.00.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on AXT

AXT Trading Up 28.7%

AXTI stock opened at $60.43 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $75.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $61.74. The firm has a market cap of $3.95 billion, a PE ratio of 3,021.50 and a beta of 1.86. AXT has a 1-year low of $1.85 and a 1-year high of $143.16.

AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The semiconductor company reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.07 by $0.12. AXT had a return on equity of 1.55% and a net margin of 3.23%.The firm had revenue of $47.59 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.08 million. AXT has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.300-0.320 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that AXT will post 0.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AXT

In other AXT news, CEO Morris S. Young sold 123,601 shares of AXT stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.33, for a total value of $14,007,701.33. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 2,149,533 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $243,606,574.89. This trade represents a 5.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director David C. Chang sold 8,333 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.17, for a total value of $926,379.61. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 65,165 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,244,393.05. This trade represents a 11.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 251,636 shares of company stock valued at $27,789,677 in the last 90 days. 5.97% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AXT

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. CloudAlpha Capital Management Limited Hong Kong acquired a new position in AXT during the 4th quarter worth approximately $22,738,000. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of AXT in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $20,187,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in shares of AXT by 161.9% in the first quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,505,354 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $85,775,000 after purchasing an additional 930,526 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in shares of AXT by 1,314.6% in the fourth quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 904,599 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $14,790,000 after purchasing an additional 840,650 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ariose Capital Management Ltd bought a new stake in shares of AXT in the first quarter worth $39,061,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 49.52% of the company’s stock.

AXT News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AXT this week:

Positive Sentiment: Q2 results substantially exceeded expectations: AXT reported $0.19 in earnings per share versus the $0.07 consensus estimate, while revenue reached approximately $47.6 million, well above estimates near $34 million and up sharply from the prior year. The company also reported improved gross and operating profitability. AXTI Q2 Earnings Beat on Record InP Demand, Revenues Rise Y/Y
Positive Sentiment: AI-related demand is accelerating: Management cited record InP revenue and strong demand from data-center optical connectivity customers. AXT plans to expand capacity and increase output while targeting further margin improvement. AXTI Q2 Earnings Call Highlights AI Capacity Expansion
Positive Sentiment: Q3 guidance was well above consensus: AXT forecast earnings of $0.30-$0.32 per share and revenue of roughly $66 million, compared with analyst expectations of $0.10 EPS and $38.7 million in revenue. AXT Stock Rips Higher After Q2 Earnings
Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment improved: Needham upgraded AXT from Hold to Buy and assigned a $90 price target. Heavy call-option buying also indicated increased bullish trading interest. Needham Upgrades AXT to Buy
Neutral Sentiment: Despite the improved quarter, AXT’s trailing net margin remains negative and the stock continues to exhibit significant volatility, increasing the risk of sharp price swings after the rally.
Negative Sentiment: Reported insider-trading data shows executives made multiple sales and no purchases during the past six months, which could temper investor confidence, although these transactions may not reflect current operating conditions.

AXT Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.