Does AAOI pay a dividend and is it safe?

Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) offers a 0% cash dividend yield ($0.00 annualized) and 0.6% total shareholder yield including buybacks. Roarable rates its payout coverage as REINVESTING IN GROWTH + BUYBACKS.

Stock Ratings / Technology / AAOI / dividends

ALGM (53) MXL (59) CRUS (69) FORM (48) ⌘ Pro Terminal →

Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) Dividend Safety Gauge & 10-Year DRIP Compounder

$62.50 -9.49% NASDAQ • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $61.31

Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) carries a Roarable Rating of E (Strong Sell) with 33/100 RQD Confidence due to weak cash-flow efficiency and sensitivity to current interest rates. Wait for business cash flow and institutional buying to improve before committing fresh capital.

ROARABLE E • RED ALERT Cap $5.86B

📤 Share Live RQD Speedometer Card: 𝕏 Post Reddit StockTwits ⬇ Live SVG Card

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🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief) Is AAOI stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

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As of 2026-11-03, Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (NASDAQ: AAOI) is rated E (Strong Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 33/100 at a spot price of $62.50 (-9.49% 1D, market cap $5.86B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 5/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 7/20, SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 11/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 4/20, and Executive Insider Alignment 6/20. Across 715 tracked Technology issuers, AAOI ranks #540 in composite RQD confidence.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief) How does AAOI compare to ALGM and MXL in the Technology sector?

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Within the Technology sector (Semiconductors), AAOI carries a Roarable E (33/100 RQD), trailing P/E of N/A, gross margin of 30.0%, and ROIC of -8.0%. By comparison, ALGM (Allegro MicroSystems Inc.) holds a D+ grade (53/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC 1.3%, cap $5.69B) and MXL (MaxLinear Inc.) posts a C- grade (59/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC -19.2%, cap $6.14B). Among the 5-stock peer group, CRUS leads on earnings multiple (13.8x) while CRUS leads on capital efficiency (20.0% ROIC).

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief) What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for AAOI?

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Per AAOI's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0001158114), Applied Optoelectronics Inc. generated $455.7M in revenue (+82.8% YoY), -$38.2M in net income, and -$353.6M in free cash flow against $1.17B in total assets and $0 in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Established market leader in Technology with deep daily trading liquidity. Primary risk factors monitored: Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 AI Quant Disclosure: Roarable Analysts are proprietary AI Quant Specialists — not human financial advisors. Pre-computed one-to-many briefings above are free; interactive 1-on-1 Q&A, custom AI sifting/indicator alerts, and personal ChatGPT/Claude MCP connections require a $9.95/mo Pro account (currently waitlist-only).

INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:

🛡️ Portfolio Crash X-Ray

EXT / AFTER-HRS: $61.31 (-1.90%)🧬 Dilution Drag (+1.64% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 5/20 (E) • 0% FCF Margin

Verify 90D Bucket Audit →

📊 Historical Track Record Warning: Scores below 50 (33/100 · E) historically underperformed SPY in 71% of rolling 90-day windows (-8.9% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 29.0% hit rate).

Audit Bucket Track Record →

RQD QUANT TACHOMETERRED ALERT • E

2-of-3 JEV AI Jury Bearish Warning

Cash

SEC

Whale

Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer

5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw E · Rk D-

Each axis scored 0–20

12M PRICE TARGET CONE-11.2% Base Target

WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for AAOI)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±12.5%

Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (33/100 Composite)

🔍 WHY AAOI SCORES 33/100 (E) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag

▲ #1 Bullish Driver: SEC 10-K Forensic Risk+11/20 pts (33% of score)

Altman Z-Score 9.36 (FORTRESS SAFE (>3.0)) • Piotroski F-Score 4/9

▲ #2 Bullish Driver: Whale & Options Positioning+7/20 pts (21% of score)

20D Institutional Volume Accumulation (±12.5% realized swing band)

▼ #1 Drag / Risk Factor: Macro Regime Fit4/20 pts (-16 pt drag)

Macro rate sensitivity & RSI-14 (38.6) create a -16 pt regime headwind

📈 PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 → Q2 → Q3 → Current

Q1 (-3Q)

Grade D$86.22-10.3% Next Q

Q2 (-2Q)

Grade E$77.32+6.3% Next Q

Q3 (-1Q)

Grade E$82.22-24% Next Q

Current

Grade E$62.50-8.9% Hist 90D α

Trajectory: D (41) → E (33)Full Audit →

⚔️ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)CONTRARIAN TURNAROUND & SHORT-SQUEEZE DOSSIER

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: What Could Spark a AAOI Turnaround Squeeze

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

While AAOI currently carries a cautious 33/100 (E) rating due to Macro Regime Fit (4/20), shorts face asymmetric squeeze risk if free cash flow inflects or management executes accretive buybacks.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #1

Established market leader in Technology with deep daily trading liquidity.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #2

Options & Short-Covering Gamma: Reclaiming the 50-day SMA ($96.40) and Max Pain ($65.63) forces dealer call-delta covering toward $245.35.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #3

Forensic Repair Trigger: Halting share dilution (Dilution Drag (+1.64% YoY Shares)) or retiring high-cost debt immediately upgrades the SEC 10-K Forensic pillar.

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $AAOI• $4.8M Crowd Pool • Kalshi / Polymarket Composite

Contract: “AAOI Beats Next Quarterly Revenue & EPS Consensus + Hyperscaler AI CapEx Holds Record Pace”

YES 33%NO 67%Trade / Inspect Odds →

CASH DIVIDEND + BUYBACK YIELD

0.6% Total Yield

0% Cash ($0.00/yr) + 0.6% Buybacks

PAYOUT SAFETY SPEEDOMETER

74/100 • REINVESTING IN GROWTH + BUYBACKS

FREE CASH FLOW PAYOUT RATIO

0% (100% Reinvested)

Retains cash flow for R&D and share repurchases

INTERACTIVE DRIP & SHAREHOLDER-YIELD COMPOUNDER (15.1% EST. ANNUAL)

$10,000 Compounded Over 10 Years → $40,809

Est. Year-10 Shareholder Yield: $245/yr

Starting Investment: $10,000

Compounding Horizon: 10 Years

$11.5K

Yr 1

$13.2K

Yr 2

$15.2K

Yr 3

$17.6K

Yr 4

$20.2K

Yr 5

$23.3K

Yr 6

$26.8K

Yr 7

$30.8K

Yr 8

$35.5K

Yr 9

$40.8K

Yr 10

ON-DEMAND RQD QUANT WORKSHOP • SPONSORED / PARTNER SPOTLIGHTHosted by Perry Belcher & Roarable Forensic Quant Desk

Red-Light Warning Desk: Spotting SEC Cash-Flow & Dilution Risks Before Downgrades (Featuring AAOI)

✓Walkthrough of AAOI's RQD Radar, SEC cash-conversion gap & downside invalidation levels
✓3 asymmetric Bear/Hedge frameworks when 10-year Treasury yields stay elevated
✓Includes nightly RQD rating-change & forensic signal email alerts on your tracked stocks

RQD INSIDER CLUB WAITLIST$49/YR PLANNED

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AAOI // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: -63.87%▼ DESCENDING CHANNEL

2026-11-03O $79.19H $79.19L $62.50C $62.50VOL 17.12M

RES: $113.2SUP: $-8.76SMA50: $96.40SMA200: $114.8

PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

AAOI Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure

🦋 AAOI Butterfly Map → + Track AAOI →

Share Count & Dilution Monitor

Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle

15.7%/yr Implied 5Y Growth

vs. +82.8% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).

Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on AAOI today. View full Setup Ledger →

🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph →

No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for AAOI. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.

AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video

🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for AAOI today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk →

DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK

📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (AAOI)

Technology Rank #540 of 715 ⚔️ ALGM vs AAOI Full Matrix →

1. Head-to-Head Technology Peer Comparison (AAOI vs. ALGM, MXL, CRUS, FORM)

Industry: Semiconductors (95 Tracked Issuers)

Across 715 tracked Technology securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) ranks #540 by composite RQD confidence (33/100, grade E) and #193 by equity capitalization ($5.86B). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, CRUS leads on earnings valuation at 13.8x trailing P/E, while CRUS leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 20.0% ROIC and 52.8% gross margin. CRUS currently holds the highest overall quantitative score in the immediate peer group at 69/100 (C+) compared with AAOI at 33/100 (E).

Ticker / Company	Roarable Grade	RQD Score	Trailing P/E	Gross Margin	ROIC	1D Change	Market Cap	Head-to-Head
AAOI ACTIVE Applied Optoelectronics Inc.	E	33/100	—	30.0%	-8.0%	-9.49%	$5.86B	Benchmark Subject
ALGM Allegro MicroSystems Inc.	D+	53/100	—	46.3%	1.3%	+5.31%	$5.69B	/algm-vs-aaoi →
MXL MaxLinear Inc.	C-	59/100	—	56.8%	-19.2%	-9.10%	$6.14B	/mxl-vs-aaoi →
CRUS Cirrus Logic Inc.	C+	69/100	13.8x	52.8%	20.0%	+1.51%	$5.50B	/crus-vs-aaoi →
FORM FormFactor Inc. FormFactor Inc.	D	48/100	140.1x	39.3%	4.8%	-0.26%	$6.84B	/form-vs-aaoi →

2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)

SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2025-12-31 • CIK 0001158114 ↗

In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31), Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) reported GAAP revenue of $455.7M (+82.8% vs. FY2024 revenue of $249.4M , and +109.4% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of -$38.2M, operating cash flow of -$174.4M, and free cash flow of -$353.6M (-213.1% YoY). On the balance sheet, AAOI closed FY2025 with $1.17B in total assets against $0 in total debt (Altman Z-Score: 9.36, Piotroski F-Score: 4/9).

Fiscal Period	Filing Date	Revenue	Net Income	Operating Cash Flow	Free Cash Flow	Total Assets	Total Debt
FY2025 (FY)	2025-12-31	$455.7M	-$38.2M	-$174.4M	-$353.6M	$1.17B	$0
FY2024 (FY)	2024-12-31	$249.4M	-$186.7M	-$69.5M	-$112.9M	$547.0M	$4.3M
FY2023 (FY)	2023-12-31	$217.6M	-$56.0M	-$7.9M	-$17.7M	$3.70B	$865.3M

3. AAOI Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)

✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

Is AAOI stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

How does AAOI compare to ALGM and MXL in the Technology sector?

What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for AAOI?

Where is AAOI trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?

AAOI last traded at $62.50 (-9.49% on volume of 15,058,679 shares), positioning the stock -35.17% below its 50-day simple moving average ($96.40) and -45.53% below its 200-day simple moving average ($114.75). Across its 52-week range of $18.50 to $233.67, AAOI sits at the 20.4% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 38.6 (NEUTRAL RANGE) and an implied next-earnings move of ±12.5% ($54.69 to $70.31).

Direct Sub-Reports: AAOI RQD Cockpit AAOI 12M Forecast AAOI Earnings & Move AAOI Dividends & DRIP AAOI Insiders & 13F AAOI Whale Options AAOI Profit Sankey AAOI News & Why

ROARABLE RATING BRIEF • RQD 33/100 (E) ✓ SEC XBRL & RQD VERIFIED

AAOI — Applied Optoelectronics Inc.: What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor

Methodology: RQD v6.2 Deterministic 5-Pillar & SEC XBRL Audit

Updated: 2025-12-31

1. Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor

Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) earns a live Roarable RQD composite score of 33/100, corresponding to a E letter grade (Roarable Strong Sell) at a spot price of $62.50 (-9.49% 1D, market capitalization $5.86B).

Fundamental Cash Engine (5/20): Anchored by return on invested capital (ROIC) of -8.0%, gross margin of 30.0%, operating margin of -12.0%, and free cash flow yield of -5.26%.
Whale 13F & Options Flow (7/20) + Insider Conviction (6/20): Tracks institutional 13F accumulation, CBOE options call/put positioning, and SEC Form 4 / Congressional PTR filings.
Macro Regime Fit (4/20) + Forensic Balance Sheet (11/20): Incorporates a 1.32x equity beta, Altman Z-Score of 9.36, Piotroski F-Score of 4/9, and Debt/Equity of 0.00x.

2. Business Model, Unit Margins & SEC Financial Trajectory

Applied Optoelectronics Inc. Is a NASDAQ-listed issuer classified under the Technology sector and Semiconductors industry. The profile describes the company as operating in semiconductors with a market capitalization of $6.7B.

In its latest audited SEC EDGAR 10-K filing for FY2025 (filed 2025-12-31), Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) reported $455.7M in annual revenue (up from $249.4M in FY2024, +82.8% YoY) and -$38.2M in GAAP net income. Over the multi-year SEC filing window from FY2023 ($217.6M revenue, -$56.0M net income) through FY2025, AAOI scaled operating cash flow to -$174.4M and free cash flow to -$353.6M, backed by $1.17B in total assets against $0 in total debt.

3. Institutional Bull vs. Bear Thesis & Valuation Tradeoff

🐂 Primary Bull Case (E • RQD 33/100): Established market leader in Technology with deep daily trading liquidity. Free cash flow yield of -5.26% and institutional whale pillar of 7/20. With Fundamental Cash Engine at 5/20 and Institutional Whale Flow at 7/20, sustained execution supports upside toward the upper end of the $18.50 – $233.67 52-week range.
🐻 Primary Bear Case & Valuation Risk: Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately. Investors must weigh current valuation against -12.0% operating margins and a 1.32x macro beta.

4. 2nd-Order Butterfly Ripples & Key Questions to Watch

The supply chain field is NONE, the butterfly links are empty, and no proprietary signals are recorded. Upstream and downstream dependencies cannot be mapped from the source data. Investors should watch sector-level sentiment in optical and AI-linked semiconductor names as a potential 2nd-order driver of AAOI's price.

Key Question #1: Can AAOI sustain or expand its -12.0% operating margin and -8.0% ROIC against Semiconductors peers over the next 4 quarters?
Key Question #2: Following FY2025 revenue of $455.7M and free cash flow of -$353.6M, how will capital allocation balance growth reinvestment against $0 in total debt?
Key Question #3: How sensitive is AAOI's 22.0x forward P/E multiple to Technology capital spending cycles and macro interest-rate shifts (Beta 1.32x)?

AAOI Live News Feed, Press Releases & Catalyst Wire

Real-time company headlines, analyst actions, and sector developments for Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) • Click "Debate This Headline" to argue it in the Roar Pit below

💬 Jump to AAOI Debate Forum (3) ↓

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo Finance • 21h ago

Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) Stock Looks Discounted On Its Huge Three Year Run

Yahoo Finance report covering Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Trefis • 1d ago

One Reason To Buy Applied Optoelectronics Stock Now

Trefis report covering Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE The Motley Fool • 1d ago

Why Applied Optoelectronics Stock Plummeted This Week

The Motley Fool report covering Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🔴 RISK WATCH Moomoo • 1d ago

US Stock Market Movements | Optical Communication Stocks Fall Broadly; Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI.US) Drops Over 5%

Moomoo report covering Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🔴 RISK WATCH 24/7 Wall St. • 1d ago

Applied Optoelectronics Dives 9% as AI Funding Fears Hit Optical Stocks; Coherent Slides 7%, Lumentum Drops 7%

24/7 Wall St. report covering Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo Finance • 1d ago

Applied Optoelectronics Cratered 50% Over 6 Months: It’s Going to Triple According to 2 Wall Street Pros

Yahoo Finance report covering Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Investing.com • 1d ago

Why is Applied Optoelectronics stock sliding today?

Investing.com report covering Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟢 CATALYST 24/7 Wall St. • 1d ago

Applied Optoelectronics Surges 6% as $600M Share Sale Program Closes; Lumentum Sits Out the Rally, Corning Edges Higher

24/7 Wall St. report covering Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🔥 THE ROAR PIT • LIVE COMMUNITY DEBATE 3 Active Posts & Replies

AAOI Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board — What's Your Call at $62.50?

🐂 67% BULLISH CONVICTION COMMUNITY TUG-OF-WAR ON AAOI 🐻 33% BEARISH CONVICTION

DE DeepValue_CFA RQD DEBATE OPENER • Institutional Buy-Side 🐂 BULLISH 🎯 Target: $89.07 (+29.0%)

📌 Pinned Debate

Revenue grew from $217.6M in FY 2023 to $455.7M in FY 2025 while reported debt fell from $865.3M to $0.0M and the Altman Z-Score sits a

The street is overcomplicating Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AAOI). Revenue grew from $217.6M in FY 2023 to $455.7M in FY 2025 while reported debt fell from $865.3M to $0.0M and the Altman Z-Score sits at 9.36.. With an RQD score of 33/100 (E) and Forensic Balance Sheet at 11/20, any positive earnings surprise or guidance raise forces underweight funds to chase above $74.57.

EarningsSniper 🐂 BULL

Both sides have a point here — AAOI's 11/20 balance sheet score keeps downside contained, so the real swing factor next earnings call is backlog and FCF conversion.

SK SkepticalCFA RQD DEBATE OPENER • Fundamental Contrarian 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $53.86 (-22.0%)

Spot @ $69.05

Net income was negative in every reported period, FY 2025 FCF was -$353.6M, and ROIC is -8% per the RQD rating.

Careful chasing AAOI at $69.05. Net income was negative in every reported period, FY 2025 FCF was -$353.6M, and ROIC is -8% per the RQD rating.. Gross margin is 30.0%, but operating margin is -12.0%, which shows SG&A and reinvestment are eating into bottom-line EPS. Target $53.86 on multiple compression.