Applied Optoelectronics Chief Legal Officer Sells 12k Shares During a Time of Positive Share Price Returns
Key Points
Applied Optoelectronics' Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer sold 12,000 shares directly for a transaction value of ~$540,660 on Jan. 28, 2026.
The sale represented 9.48% of the insider's holdings, reducing his stake to 0.17% ownership of the company.
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Applied Optoelectronics (NASDAQ:AAOI) Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer David C Kuo reported the sale of 12,000 directly held shares of approximately $540,660 on Jan. 28, 2026, according to a SEC Form 4 filing.
Transaction summary
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Shares sold (direct) | 12,000 |
| Transaction value | $540,660.0 |
| Post-transaction shares (direct) | 114,636 |
| Post-transaction value (direct ownership) | $5,184,986.3 |
Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 reported price ($45.05); post-transaction value based on Jan. 28, 2026 market close ($45.05).
Key questions
- How did this sale impact David C Kuo's remaining direct stake in Applied Optoelectronics?
The transaction reduced Kuo's direct holdings by 9.48%, leaving him with 114,636 shares, which equals 0.17% of total shares outstanding as of Jan. 28, 2026, the day of the transaction. - How does the trade size compare to Kuo's historical sale patterns?
This 12,000-share sale is consistent with Kuo's recent median sale size of 12,250 shares per transaction, as observed since November 2024, and reflects a pattern of regular dispositions.
Company overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| *Price | $43.61 |
| Market capitalization | $2.98 billion |
| Revenue (TTM) | $421.71 million |
| *1-year price change | 64.38% |
* Price and 1-year performance calculated using Jan. 31, 2026 as the reference date.
Company snapshot
Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. is a leading provider of advanced fiber-optic networking products, with a focus on high-speed and high-capacity data transmission solutions. Its clients span data centers, cable television networks, as well as internet and utility service providers in the U.S., China, and Taiwan.
What this transaction means for investors
Kuo’s sale of shares was part of a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, meaning it was prescheduled in advance, so this was not a transaction in which the insider sold the shares at his discretion on the exact day of the reported sale.
Even though AAOI share prices increased approximately 20% in January 2026, the stock had an underwhelming performance in 2025, falling around 4% for the entire year. And beyond its stock, there are major concerns about the company’s net margins.
Applied Optoelectronics has posted negative net losses since 2019, as it struggles with high operating costs, a problem not exclusive to the company. The fiber optic market is expensive, as implementing fiber solutions in the U.S. is difficult due to the need to navigate infrastructure, especially in rural areas where fiber optic services don’t even exist in some areas.
While the stock currently has a fairly decent one-year return, investors may want to monitor the company’s operational struggles, because the consistent negative margins are alarming.
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Adé Hennis has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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