Applied Optoelectronics is well-positioned for hyperscaler demand but faces execution challenges and potential disruption from copacked... ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Written by Thomas Hughes 
Applied Optoelectronics (NASDAQ: AAOI) is shaping up to be a solid buy for long-term investors as it is a leader in optical and photonic technology. Its products range from transceivers and lasers to amplifiers and short-distance cables, all critical to telecommunications and digitization globally. The driving force in 2026 is datacenters and AI, but the technology spans use cases, as it enables faster, higher-bandwidth communications across the technology world, from chips and components to datacenters and hyperscale networking. The problem, as the market approaches mid-year, is the stock's price action and valuation. They set the market up for a correction that could shave a high-double-digit amount off the stock price. Trading at 215X the current-year earnings consensus, the market is pricing in significant growth and flawless execution, setting the stage for missteps and delays to be reflected in the stock price. 
The stock price action is fundamentally bullish, with rising volume and converging MACD, but the May activity reflects a topping market, with the potential to trend sideways in consolidation, if not to pull back in a correction. Rising volume and MACD convergence suggest new highs will be reached; it’s only a matter of timing, but the potential for correction is significant, with support targets at $140 and $96, approximately 37.5% and 54% below the May peaks. Applied Optoelectronics Misses in Q1: Guides WeakApplied Optoelectronics had a solid earnings report for Q1 and provided strong guidance, but both fell short of the analysts' high bar, prompting them to reset their forward outlook and creating headwinds for market sentiment. As it stands, the company’s $151 million in revenue was up more than 50% year-over-year, driven by broad-based strength. Data centers and AI underpinned the business, with demand for next-gen 800G products on the verge of ramping up. Earnings per share were a miss. The company’s growth investments, which include new products and capacity expansion, cut into the earnings results—but failed to darken the outlook. If anything, demand dynamics suggest the investments will pay for themselves quickly as the capacity comes online. Guidance was likewise bullish, but fell short of expectations, with revenue below consensus at the midpoint of the range. Capitalization is an important factor, and perhaps the more pressing issue, capping shares in May. The company’s expansion is capital-intensive, requiring massive capital raises and shareholder dilution. Highlights at the end of Q1 include a greater-than-50% increase in share count compared to the prior year, and a high likelihood of additional capital raising. The good news is that the balance sheet remains healthy, with low long-term debt and total liabilities below 50% of equity. The cash balance will decline, but it will be converted into equity-boosting property, revenue, and earnings over time. Sell-Side Forces Set Stage for AAOI Market VolatilityWhile institutions provide a solid support base, owning more than 60% of the shares and aggressively accumulating, analysts and short-selling data suggest this market is poised to fall. The seven analysts tracked were unmoved by the Q1 release, leaving their price targets and ratings intact. They peg the stock at Hold and expect it to decline by 50% at the consensus, and the short-sellers will be happy to see it get there. They’ve sold into the rally, sustaining a mid-teens interest as of late April, and may have increased activity due to the tepid Q1 release and its impact on the outlook. The primary catalyst for AAOI stock this year will be the monetization of its massive backlog. Hyperscaler demand for 800G and other next-gen products is surging, with Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) alone accounting for $324 million in demand, and it only needs to be delivered. The biggest risks are executing on its aggressive expansion plans, including building multiple facilities and customer concentration. Customers are centered in the major hyperscalers, primarily Oracle, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), and are easily disrupted. There is not only a risk of execution delays impacting the pace of revenue recognition, but also for technological disruption from competitors. Aeluma (NASDAQ: ALMU) is one of several companies focusing on photonics with the power to disrupt, and the incentive for it to do so is substantial. The successful integration of commercially viable, scalable copackaged optics could make many AAOI products obsolete. Timing an investment in AAOI will require consideration of its upcoming earnings releases. News revealing strategy execution will help invigorate market sentiment, but the market will need proof that execution is driving improved revenue and earnings metrics. That may not come until August, with the Q2 release, or even later.  Read This Story Online |
An investment account dating back to 1888 has quietly delivered average annual returns of 29% over the last 25 years - and BlackRock, JP Morgan, and Bank of America have all used it.
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| Written by Leo Miller 
Three big-name stocks recently added more juice to their dividends. These stocks sit on different ends of the dividend yield to dividend growth spectrum. Yields stretch as high as 4%, and growth rates are as high as 15%. This includes a large energy company with a solid yield that just boosted its dividend by more than 30%. Pepsi: High-Yield Giant Boosts Dividend Amid Food RecoveryFor over a year, shares of food and beverage giant PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP) have been largely range-bound. Overall, the stock has provided a total return of just 3% since the start of 2025 Notably, Pepsi’s food business, primarily composed of snacks, has been a laggard. In its latest quarter, Pepsi’s Frito-Lay North American segment saw sales rise by 2% year-over-year (YOY). Meanwhile, Beverages North America rose significantly faster, at 9% YOY. Despite this low figure, the segment is improving, posting its fastest growth in two years. Pepsi is undertaking changes to shift its food business, focusing on its best-performing brands. Pepsi also recently increased its already strong dividend. Its quarterly payout will move up by 4% to $1.48 per share. The firm plans to make its next payment on June 30 to shareholders of record as of the June 5 close. Overall, Pepsi’s indicated dividend yield now stands at about 4%. Notably, with this latest increase, Pepsi has now raised its annual dividend for 54 years in a row. The company has also grown its dividend by a compound annual growth rate of just under 7% over the past five years. This is a solidly middle-of-the-road dividend growth rate. KLA: Giant Industry Giant With Strong Sales and Dividend GrowthKLA (NASDAQ: KLAC) is one of the world’s most prominent names in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry. With multiple parts of the artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor space experiencing shortages, KLA’s share price has absolutely taken off. Since the beginning of 2025, KLA has provided a total return of over 180%. Its 2026 return is also very strong, around 45%. KLA has been growing at a strong pace, seeing its most recent quarterly sales rise by over 13% YOY. Investors and analysts expect KLA’s sales to continue growing considerably. Next quarter, analysts estimate that sales will grow by approximately 13% YOY, with that growth accelerating to 30% in calendar Q1 2027. In order for chip makers to increase their production capacity and meet customer demand, they need more of KLA’s equipment; the rationale for sales acceleration. KLA is also boosting its dividend at an impressive clip, with a five-year annualized dividend growth rate of just over 15%. The company just announced a 21% dividend increase, moving its quarterly payout to $2.30. The company plans to pay its next dividend on June 2 to shareholders of record as of the May 18 close. Despite its dividend growth, KLA’s indicated dividend yield is low, near 0.5%. Devon Issues Huge Dividend Increase and Buyback After Coterra AcquisitionLast up is Devon Energy (NYSE: DVN), one of the United States’ largest independent oil and gas producers. Shares have performed well, providing a total return of 50% over the last 12 months. As with the rest of the oil industry, the conflict in Iran has aided Devon, sending oil prices up significantly. Investors have also viewed Devon’s acquisition of Coterra Energy (NYSE: CTRA) positively. The combination of these two shale operators will drastically increase Devon’s production capacity. Devon’s daily production in 2025 was about 840,000, which would have been 1.6 million with the inclusion of Coterra. Additionally, Devon expects to generate $1 billion in annual pre-tax synergies from the merger by the end of 2027, creating value in the combined organization. Coterra also committed to significant capital returns when announcing the deal. Making good on its promise, Devon massively increased its dividend by 33% to 32 cents per share. The company plans to make its next payment on June 30 to shareholders of record as of the June 15 close. This gives Devon a solid indicated dividend yield near 2.6%. The company’s 5-year annualized dividend growth rate is just 7%, but growth has clearly accelerated. Devon also announced a very large buyback program of $8 billion. This is equal to 14% of Devon’s approximately $57 billion market capitalization. Analysts Eye Solid Gains in Devon EnergyAmong this group, Wall Street analysts are displaying the most optimism in Devon going forward. The MarketBeat consensus price target near $56 implies just under 15% upside in shares. Targets also moved up meaningfully after Devon’s earnings report, and Raymond James upgraded Devon to a Strong Buy. The average of targets updated after earnings is approximately $64, implying more than 25% upside. Read This Story Online |
Macroeconomic Strategist Dr. Mark Skousen of The Oxford Club says one date should be at the top of every investor's radar: June 1.
The SpaceX-related setup he is tracking has a closing window, and he believes waiting until after that date means missing the move entirely. See why Dr. Skousen calls June 1 the critical deadline here
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| Written by Thomas Hughes 
Everspin Technologies (NASDAQ: MRAM) could be the next big AI winner because AI is driving applications at the edge, and the edge is where Everspin Technologies is best-suited. In fact, its products are not just best-suited for the edge; they are the best in their class for edge applications, and demand is accelerating. What Everspin Technologies does is produce magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM), a technology that combines the speed of SRAM with the durability of flash, among other benefits. MRAM is different from traditional memory because it is based on electron spin rather than charge. This enables low-energy memory storage, resistance to power loss, radiation, heat, and nearly unlimited write endurance. The applications are virtually unlimited, but some negative factors are affecting the outlook. Among them are higher costs compared to traditional memory and a more complex manufacturing process. They also provide lower memory density and require more power for the initial write, so demand tends to be focused on more specialized applications, including consumer wearables, microcontrollers, and aerospace/defense industries. Everspin Outperforms, Raises Guidance Amid Capacity ExpansionEverspin had a solid quarter, with Q1 results highlighting its growth trajectory. The microcap company reported $14.87 million in net revenue, up 13.5% year-over-year (YOY), driven by demand in industrial automation, transportation, and data centers. The top line was nearly 200 basis points (bps) better than expected, compounded by a widening margin and hot guidance. The company’s margins expanded at the gross and operating levels, resulting in a narrower GAAP loss and improved adjusted profitability. The adjusted earnings grew by quadruple digits YOY, and were 2,200 bps ahead of MarketBeat’s reported consensus. Everspin’s guidance is one of the reasons the stock price action surged following the release. The company expects Q2 results to accelerate sequentially and outpace the analysts' consensus forecast while leaving the door open to outperformance. As it stands, the company is expecting revenue in the range of $16 million, but has not included the impact of new deals. In this light, the company can be expected to outperform its own guidance on an as-reported basis, and the outperformance may be substantial. New deals include a $40 million subcontractor award to support U.S. Defense Industrial Base customers. The award will be paid out over two and a half years, affirming the company’s emerging presence as a mission-critical component for defense and government applications. The likely scenario is that additional contracts will be awarded over time as the company expands its manufacturing capacity. The recent deal with Microchip not only enhances its capacity and derisks the long-term outlook but also strengthens its domestic manufacturing footprint and value to defense and government industries. Institutions Buy In: Don’t Chase PricesInstitutional data reflect a market in accumulation, but investors should be wary of chasing this stock price higher. While institutions are accumulating at a robust pace, they own less than 50% of the stock, and the market has outpaced analyst sentiment. Analyst sentiment trends open the door to extreme volatility. There are only two analysts with active ratings; they are split between Buy and Sell, and the single target implies a double-digit downside from the early May highs, setting the stage for a May or summer 2026 price correction. The stock price action signaled a top in May. Price surged following the April earnings release and will likely trend higher over time, but the early May gap higher and subsequent doji candle mark a near-term top. 
The only question is how deep the market may pull back, and the $28 level appears to be the most likely target. Reasons to believe the stock will continue higher over time include the MACD convergence, which signals a strengthening market, and the rising trading volume, which reflects increased market interest and conviction in the trade. Everspin’s primary risk in 2026 is its dependency on government contracts. While not the only revenue source, it is a key driver and is susceptible to delays and disruptions. Additionally, intense competition in the non-volatile memory market may disrupt Everspin’s ability to reach critical milestones. However, its unique approach, profitability, and obvious utility make it a quality speculation for investors and a takeover candidate for larger tech companies. Potential buyers include Microchip Technology, with whom Everspin is already in business, Honewell (as MRAM is a critical component in defense applications), and Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE: TSM) (leader in embedding MRAM on traditional silicon). Catalysts include new and upcoming product qualifications that expand the addressable market. Read This Story Online |
When a mega-IPO like SpaceX hits the market, the 60 days before the listing matter more than the day itself. Pension funds, ETFs, and sovereign wealth funds all need to buy in - and to do that, they sell first. That selling often comes from positions sitting in your retirement account.
Physical gold held in a self-directed IRA can't be rebalanced out from under you - because it never sits on a fund manager's books. The free 2026 Gold Guide from Reagan Gold Group walks you through how to make the move tax-free and penalty-free in days. Download the free 2026 Gold Guide and protect your retirement savings
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