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AAOI or LASR or NVDA
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) vs. nLIGHT (LASR) vs. NVIDIA (NVDA) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- AAOI has delivered over 400% year-to-date (YTD) gains, driven by AI data center transceiver demand and a recent $20.9 million Texas manufacturing grant.
- LASR shows solid 80%+ YTD performance, bolstered by defense sector expansion including new European operations for directed energy programs.
- NVDA leads with massive market cap over $4.7 trillion but modest ~6% YTD amid China market share challenges, maintaining strong AI infrastructure positioning.
- All three exhibit high betas above 2 (a measure of volatility relative to the market), reflecting sensitivity to AI and semiconductor sector swings.
- AAOI and LASR focus on photonics components fueling AI growth, contrasting NVDA's compute dominance.
- Recent momentum favors smaller optics plays like AAOI, while NVDA offers relative stability.
Introduction
Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI), nLIGHT (LASR), and NVIDIA (NVDA) operate within the interconnected photonics, lasers, and AI infrastructure ecosystem, critical to data center expansion and advanced computing. This comparison suits traders and investors tracking AI-driven supply chain beneficiaries, highlighting relative performance amid surging demand for high-speed optics and semiconductors. With all three showing elevated volatility in recent market activity, understanding their growth drivers, risks, and momentum aids in assessing sector positioning and trade-offs.
AAOI Overview and Recent Performance
Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (AAOI) designs and manufactures fiber-optic networking products, including optical transceivers and lasers for internet data centers and telecom. In recent weeks, AAOI shares have surged to all-time highs near $190, posting over 400% YTD gains and exceeding 1,000% over the past year, fueled by hyperscale AI orders and 800G/1.6T module ramps. A $20.9 million Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grant supports manufacturing expansion in Sugar Land, boosting sentiment despite high beta (3.76) and no profitable PE ratio (price-to-earnings ratio). Trading volume has spiked, reflecting optimism in AI data center buildouts, though analyst targets average $102, signaling potential valuation stretch.
LASR Overview and Recent Performance
nLIGHT, Inc. (LASR) develops semiconductor and fiber lasers for industrial, aerospace, defense, and microfabrication uses. Recent market activity has seen LASR rise around 80% YTD to near $70, with over 700% one-year returns, driven by record Q4 results and a pivot toward directed energy programs. Expansion of Torino, Italy operations targets European defense demand, enhancing growth prospects amid a beta of 2.34. Despite strong guidance, shares dipped post-earnings at times, with market cap at $3.9 billion and ongoing losses (EPS -0.47). Analyst targets near $75 reflect confidence in laser sensing and defense catalysts influencing positive sentiment.
NVDA Overview and Recent Performance
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) dominates data center AI with GPUs, networking, and software platforms. In recent weeks, NVDA traded around $197, with modest ~6% YTD but 72% annual gains, pressured by U.S. export curbs eroding China market share to zero. Partnerships in AI optics and hyperscale cloud sustain momentum, supported by PE ratio of 40 and beta 2.24. Market cap exceeds $4.7 trillion, dwarfing peers, with high volume underscoring enduring AI leadership despite short-term volatility from capacity concerns and competition.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
AAOI specializes in optical transceivers for AI data centers, offering explosive growth but elevated risk as a smaller-cap ($14B market cap (market capitalization)) with loss-making operations. LASR ($3.9B cap) diversifies into high-margin defense lasers, balancing industrial exposure with geopolitical tailwinds, though less AI-direct than peers. NVDA ($4.7T cap) anchors the chain with compute platforms, boasting profitability and ecosystem lock-in but facing valuation scrutiny (PE 40) and export headwinds. Recent momentum crowns AAOI (400%+ YTD) over LASR (80%) and NVDA (6%), yet all share high betas amplifying sector sentiment shifts. Trade-offs include AAOI's upside volatility versus NVDA's scale-driven resilience.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron's AI tools, scanning trends and patterns, would likely favor AAOI in the current environment due to superior short-term momentum, consistent hyperscale catalysts, and alignment with outperforming semiconductor bots. However, NVDA edges for longer-term stability given its dominance and profitability, while LASR suits defense diversification. Probabilities tilt toward optics momentum amid AI buildouts, but high betas warrant caution.
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.
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 2 green FA rating(s), and NVDA’s FA Score reflects 3 green FA rating(s).
- AAOI’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- LASR’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- NVDA’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 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 3 TA indicator(s) are bullish while LASR’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s), and NVDA’s TA Score reflects 6 bullish TA indicator(s).
- AAOI’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 5 bearish.
- LASR’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 3 bearish.
- NVDA’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
AAOI (@Telecommunications Equipment) experienced а +6.89% price change this week, while LASR (@Semiconductors) price change was +22.39% , and NVDA (@Semiconductors) price fluctuated +10.56% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Telecommunications Equipment industry was -0.38%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +14.35%, and the average quarterly price growth was +61.42%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Semiconductors industry was +8.41%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +47.14%, and the average quarterly price growth was +78.48%.
Reported Earning Dates
AAOI is expected to report earnings on Jul 30, 2026.
LASR is expected to report earnings on Jul 30, 2026.
NVDA is expected to report earnings on May 20, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Telecommunications Equipment (-0.38% 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 (+8.41% 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 | NVDA | |
| Capitalization | 12B | 4.79B | 5.37T |
| EBITDA | -16.14M | -7.43M | 145B |
| Gain YTD | 430.407 | 126.473 | 17.669 |
| P/E Ratio | N/A | N/A | 45.06 |
| Revenue | 507M | 261M | 216B |
| Total Cash | 440M | 134M | 62.6B |
| Total Debt | 280M | 36.2M | 11B |
AAOI | LASR | NVDA | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 71 | 85 | 83 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 66 Overvalued | 88 Overvalued | 81 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 6 | 29 | 8 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 92 | 93 | 13 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 34 | 34 | 16 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 6 | 18 | 42 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | n/a | 90 |
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 (66) in the Telecommunications Equipment industry is in the same range as NVDA (81) in the Semiconductors industry, and is in the same range as LASR (88) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that AAOI's stock grew similarly to NVDA’s and similarly to LASR’s over the last 12 months.
AAOI's Profit vs Risk Rating (6) in the Telecommunications Equipment industry is in the same range as NVDA (8) in the Semiconductors industry, and is in the same range as LASR (29) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that AAOI's stock grew similarly to NVDA’s and similarly to LASR’s over the last 12 months.
NVDA's SMR Rating (13) in the Semiconductors industry is significantly better than the same rating for AAOI (92) in the Telecommunications Equipment industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for LASR (93) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that NVDA's stock grew significantly faster than AAOI’s and significantly faster than LASR’s over the last 12 months.
NVDA's Price Growth Rating (16) in the Semiconductors industry is in the same range as AAOI (34) in the Telecommunications Equipment industry, and is in the same range as LASR (34) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that NVDA's stock grew similarly to AAOI’s and similarly to LASR’s over the last 12 months.
AAOI's P/E Growth Rating (6) in the Telecommunications Equipment industry is in the same range as LASR (18) in the Semiconductors industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for NVDA (42) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that AAOI's stock grew similarly to LASR’s and somewhat faster than NVDA’s over the last 12 months.
| AAOI | LASR | NVDA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 86% | 2 days ago 90% | 2 days ago 52% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 84% | 2 days ago 66% | 2 days ago 68% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 78% | 2 days ago 78% | 2 days ago 78% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 85% | 2 days ago 81% | 2 days ago 81% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 84% | 2 days ago 80% | 2 days ago 81% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 88% | 2 days ago 80% | 2 days ago 78% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 12 days ago 86% | 2 days ago 77% | 2 days ago 82% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 86% | 8 days ago 79% | 12 days ago 67% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 81% | 2 days ago 82% | 2 days ago 64% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 89% | 2 days ago 84% | 2 days ago 85% |
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AAOI and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, AAOI has been loosely correlated with LITE. These tickers have moved in lockstep 55% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if AAOI jumps, then LITE could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To AAOI | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAOI | 100% | +24.14% | ||
| LITE - AAOI | 55% Loosely correlated | +16.52% | ||
| CIEN - AAOI | 54% Loosely correlated | +6.09% | ||
| LASR - AAOI | 47% Loosely correlated | +14.94% | ||
| NVDA - AAOI | 45% Loosely correlated | +1.97% | ||
| MPWR - AAOI | 44% Loosely correlated | +3.76% | ||
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% | +14.94% | ||
| KLIC - LASR | 53% Loosely correlated | +1.59% | ||
| IPGP - LASR | 52% Loosely correlated | -0.93% | ||
| AMKR - LASR | 49% Loosely correlated | +0.10% | ||
| ENTG - LASR | 49% Loosely correlated | +0.03% | ||
| COHU - LASR | 47% Loosely correlated | +3.57% | ||
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