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AAOI vs LASR
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) vs. nLIGHT (LASR) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- AAOI has surged over 200% YTD on AI data center transceiver demand, outpacing LASR's 60% YTD gain driven by defense lasers.
- Both stocks exhibit high volatility with betas above 2.0 (beta: a measure of stock price sensitivity to market movements), but AAOI shows stronger recent momentum from hyperscaler orders.
- AAOI reports higher TTM revenue ($456M vs. $261M) but larger losses; LASR edges in EBITDA and lower debt.
- Market caps favor AAOI (~$8B vs. ~$3.4B), reflecting greater investor positioning in optical networking vs. industrial lasers.
- Recent AI-driven demand boosts both, but AAOI's 800G transceiver wins provide nearer-term catalysts.
Introduction
Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) and nLIGHT (LASR) operate in the high-growth laser and optics sector, benefiting from surging demand in AI data centers, defense, and industrial applications. This stock comparison analyzes their business models, recent performance, and market positioning amid broader trends in optical communications and high-power lasers. Traders seeking momentum plays and investors eyeing long-term growth in photonics technology will find value in understanding their relative strengths, volatility, and catalysts in the current environment.
AAOI Overview and Recent Performance
Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI), a designer and manufacturer of fiber-optic networking products, serves data centers, telecom, cable TV (CATV), and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) markets. In recent market activity, AAOI shares have delivered explosive gains, with YTD returns exceeding 200% and over 900% in the past year, driven by AI-fueled demand for high-speed optical transceivers. Key influences include up-sized orders for 800G data center transceivers from hyperscale customers and Q4 2025 revenue of $134M, beating estimates. Volatility remains high (beta ~3.0), with shares peaking near $130 before profit-taking, reflecting sentiment tied to datacenter expansions by major cloud providers. TTM revenue stands at $456M, up 83% YoY, though profitability lags with negative EPS.
LASR Overview and Recent Performance
nLIGHT (LASR), a provider of high-power semiconductor and fiber lasers, targets industrial, microfabrication, aerospace, defense, and directed energy applications. Recent weeks have seen solid gains, with YTD returns around 61% and over 800% annually, bolstered by record Q4 2025 revenue of $81M (up 71% YoY) and full-year growth to $261M. Sentiment shifts stem from aerospace/defense ramps and optimistic Q1 2026 guidance, despite some post-earnings pullbacks amid China exposure concerns. The stock's beta of 2.27 underscores volatility, with shares hitting all-time highs before recent consolidation. Non-GAAP profitability improved, but GAAP losses persist (TTM EPS -$0.49).
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Head-to-Head Comparison
AAOI and LASR both thrive in photonics but diverge in focus: AAOI's data center transceivers tap explosive AI bandwidth needs, while LASR's defense/industrial lasers offer diversified exposure. Growth drivers contrast—AAOI eyes $1B 2026 revenue from 800G ramps vs. LASR's 25%+ defense growth. Recent momentum favors AAOI (higher YTD gains), but LASR shows better EBITDA and lower debt ($36M vs. $248M). Risk factors include AAOI's customer concentration/higher leverage and LASR's China risks; both face sector volatility (betas >2.0). Market sentiment leans bullish on AAOI for AI proximity, trading at a premium market cap (~$8B vs. $3.4B).
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors AAOI due to superior trend consistency in AI data center optics, stronger revenue scale, and recent hyperscaler catalysts positioning it ahead in relative performance. While LASR offers stability via defense backlog, AAOI's momentum suggests higher probability of near-term outperformance amid bandwidth surges.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is AAOI is a Hold and LASR is a Hold.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
AAOI’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green whileLASR’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s).
- AAOI’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- LASR’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
AAOI’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while LASR’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s).
- AAOI’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
- LASR’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 2 bearish.
Price Growth
AAOI (@Telecommunications Equipment) experienced а +5.81% price change this week, while LASR (@Semiconductors) price change was +7.74% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Telecommunications Equipment industry was +5.72%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +11.74%, and the average quarterly price growth was +40.97%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Semiconductors industry was +11.63%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +20.79%, and the average quarterly price growth was +24.53%.
Reported Earning Dates
AAOI is expected to report earnings on Apr 30, 2026.
LASR is expected to report earnings on May 07, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Telecommunications Equipment (+5.72% weekly)The Telecommunications Equipment industry produces voice and data communications equipment, which includes fiber optic delivery products, digital signal processors, high-speed voice, data and video delivery. Additionally, satellite systems, global positioning systems, wireless data systems, personal communications equipment, telephone handsets and payload equipment for satellites also fall into this category. Apple Inc., QUALCOMM Incorporated and Nokia are major global players in this segment.
@Semiconductors (+11.63% weekly)The semiconductor industry manufacturers all chip-related products, including research and development. These chips are used in innumerable electronic devices, including computers, cell phones, smartphones, and GPSs. Intel Corporation, NVIDIA Corp., and Broadcomm are some of the prominent players in this industry. Semiconductor companies usually tend to do well during periods of healthy economic growth, thereby inducing further research and development in the industry – which in turn augurs well for productivity and growth in the economy. In the near future, demand for semiconductor products (and possibly innovation within the segment) should only expand further, with the proliferation of 5G, autonomous vehicles, IoT, and various AI-driven electronics set to herald a new, advanced chapter in the technology-driven world as we know it. With burgeoning prospects comes great competition. In 2015, SIA estimated that U.S. semiconductor industry ranks as the second most competitive U.S. industry out of 2882 U.S. industries designated manufacturers by the U.S. Census Bureau.
| AAOI | LASR | AAOI / LASR | |
| Capitalization | 12.4B | 3.93B | 316% |
| EBITDA | -15.51M | -7.43M | 209% |
| Gain YTD | 357.114 | 87.763 | 407% |
| P/E Ratio | N/A | N/A | - |
| Revenue | 456M | 261M | 175% |
| Total Cash | 206M | 134M | 154% |
| Total Debt | 248M | 36.2M | 685% |
AAOI | LASR | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 33 | 21 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 70 Overvalued | 90 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 8 | 44 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 92 | 93 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 34 | 34 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 8 | 24 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | n/a | 85 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
AAOI's Valuation (70) in the Telecommunications Equipment industry is in the same range as LASR (90) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that AAOI’s stock grew similarly to LASR’s over the last 12 months.
AAOI's Profit vs Risk Rating (8) in the Telecommunications Equipment industry is somewhat better than the same rating for LASR (44) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that AAOI’s stock grew somewhat faster than LASR’s over the last 12 months.
AAOI's SMR Rating (92) in the Telecommunications Equipment industry is in the same range as LASR (93) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that AAOI’s stock grew similarly to LASR’s over the last 12 months.
AAOI's Price Growth Rating (34) in the Telecommunications Equipment industry is in the same range as LASR (34) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that AAOI’s stock grew similarly to LASR’s over the last 12 months.
AAOI's P/E Growth Rating (8) in the Telecommunications Equipment industry is in the same range as LASR (24) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that AAOI’s stock grew similarly to LASR’s over the last 12 months.
| AAOI | LASR | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 88% | N/A |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 90% | 2 days ago 81% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 77% | 2 days ago 79% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 83% | 2 days ago 89% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 84% | 2 days ago 79% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 88% | 2 days ago 80% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 85% | 2 days ago 76% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 87% | 4 days ago 79% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 79% | 2 days ago 81% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 87% | 2 days ago 80% |
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AAOI and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, AAOI has been loosely correlated with CIEN. These tickers have moved in lockstep 56% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if AAOI jumps, then CIEN could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To AAOI | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAOI | 100% | +1.29% | ||
| CIEN - AAOI | 56% Loosely correlated | +2.48% | ||
| LITE - AAOI | 54% Loosely correlated | +0.32% | ||
| LASR - AAOI | 47% Loosely correlated | +1.37% | ||
| NVDA - AAOI | 45% Loosely correlated | +1.68% | ||
| HPE - AAOI | 45% Loosely correlated | +2.12% | ||
More | ||||
LASR and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, LASR has been loosely correlated with KLIC. These tickers have moved in lockstep 53% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if LASR jumps, then KLIC could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To LASR | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LASR | 100% | +1.37% | ||
| KLIC - LASR | 53% Loosely correlated | +2.79% | ||
| IPGP - LASR | 52% Loosely correlated | +3.57% | ||
| AMKR - LASR | 49% Loosely correlated | +7.11% | ||
| ENTG - LASR | 49% Loosely correlated | +7.46% | ||
| COHU - LASR | 47% Loosely correlated | +4.83% | ||
More | ||||