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Key Takeaways Applied Optoelectronics posted 154% year-over-year data center revenue growth in first-quarter 2026. AAOI is expanding Texas manufacturing to boost 800G and 1.6T optical transceiver production. AAOI expects second-quarter 2026 revenues of $180M-$198M amid rising AI infrastructure demand. Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI - Free Report) is benefiting from a significant surge in demand for optical networking products, particularly driven by the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and hyperscale data centers. In the first quarter of 2026, both the data center and CATV (cable TV) businesses experienced strong momentum, with data center revenues up 154% year over year. This growth is being fueled by hyperscale customers ramping up investments in next-generation infrastructure, which requires high-speed optical transceivers such as AOI’s 400G, 800G and 1.6T products.

The company is aggressively expanding its manufacturing footprint, especially in Texas. The company’s U.S. facilities are expected to produce over 650,000 units of 800G and 1.6T products per month by the end of 2026, with further expansion to over 930,000 units monthly by the end of 2027.

Building on this momentum, in July 2026, Applied Optoelectronics began the construction of two facilities in Pearland, TX, adding nearly 400,000 square feet of manufacturing capacity. The expansion will increase production of 800G and 1.6T optical transceivers used in AI data centers.

The expansion supports rising demand for high-speed optical connectivity and strengthens AOI's ability to serve hyperscale cloud customers. The company expects the new facilities to enhance manufacturing scale, create high-quality jobs, and reinforce its position as a key supplier of advanced optical networking products for AI and cloud infrastructure markets.

AAOI’s robust demand for its next-generation data center products, particularly driven by the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and the company’s ongoing investments in manufacturing capacity, is expected to benefit the company’s top-line growth. For the second quarter of 2026, the company expects revenues in the range of $180 million to $198 million, implying continued sequential growth.

AAOI Faces Stiff CompetitionApplied Optoelectronics is facing stiff competition from Lumentum (LITE - Free Report) and Coherent (COHR - Free Report) in the optical networking market. Coherent and Lumentum’s partnerships with NVIDIA pose a significant threat to AAOI.

During the third quarter of fiscal 2026, Coherent announced a strategic partnership with NVIDIA focused on advanced optical networking and CPO technologies for AI data centers. The agreement includes a $2 billion equity investment from NVIDIA and a multi-year supply agreement extending through the end of the decade.

In March 2026, Lumentum entered into a multi-year strategic agreement with NVIDIA to accelerate the development of advanced optical technologies for next-generation AI infrastructure. The partnership includes a multibillion-dollar purchase commitment and a $2 billion NVIDIA investment to expand Lumentum’s U.S. manufacturing capacity and R&D capabilities.

AAOI’s Share Price Performance, Valuation, and EstimatesApplied Optoelectronics shares have skyrocketed 195.5% in the year-to-date period, outperforming the Zacks Computer & Technology sector’s rise of 11.8% and the Zacks Electronics - Semiconductors increase of 27.4%.

AAOI Stock’s Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Applied Optoelectronics shares are currently overvalued, as suggested by its Value Score of F. AAOI stock is trading at a premium with a trailing 12-month Price/Sales of 15.44X compared with the Electronics - Semiconductors industry’s 14.37X.

AAOI’s Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings is pegged at 80 cents per share, which has been unchanged over the past 30 days. This suggests 407.69% year-over-year growth.

AAOI’s Zacks RankApplied Optoelectronics currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. 

SUGAR LAND, Texas, July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAOI), a leading provider of advanced optical and HFC networking products powering AI, today announced it has begun construction on its two adjacent properties in Pearland, Texas, adding nearly 400,000 square feet of manufacturing capacity.

The buildout of these properties, located at 14621 Kirby Drive and 11555 N. Spectrum Boulevard, supports AOI’s plans to increase production of its 800G and 1.6T optical transceivers, which are a critical component of modern AI infrastructures that let network devices communicate over fiber optics, enabling fast, long-distance data transmission.

“We are proud to be part of the Pearland business ecosystem and appreciate the level of support we received from the city and economic development offices to match our manufacturing needs,” said Dr. Stefan Murry, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer of AOI. “As we continue to grow and expand our Houston-area footprint, Pearland offers us access to a strong workforce, excellent infrastructure, and room to scale our operations. These facilities will be instrumental in supporting our long-term growth strategy, enabling us to expand production of advanced optical transceivers and strengthen AOI's position as a key supplier to the AI and cloud infrastructure markets.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome Applied Optoelectronics to Pearland as they expand their manufacturing footprint,” said Quentin Wiltz, Mayor, City of Pearland. “This project will bring high-quality jobs, strengthen our local economy, and deepen the innovation ecosystem that makes Pearland a destination for forward-looking companies. We look forward to continuing to support AOI as they grow and thrive in our community.”

Additional Resources:

AOI Optical TransceiversAOI Newsroom About AOI  
Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (AOI) is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced optical and HFC networking products that are the building blocks for AI datacenters, CATV and broadband fiber access networks around the world. AOI supplies this critical infrastructure to tier-one customers across cloud computing, CATV broadband, telecom, and FTTH markets. The company has R&D facilities in Atlanta, GA, and engineering and manufacturing facilities at its corporate headquarters in Sugar Land, TX, as well as in Taipei, Taiwan and Ningbo, China. For additional information, visit www.ao-inc.com.

About PEDC
Established in 1995, the Pearland Economic Development Corporation promotes, assists, and enhances economic development activities and quality of life within Pearland, Texas. In bringing new and existing businesses to the area, the organization attracts capital investment to add to the city’s tax base and helps to increase the number of employment opportunities for residents. For more information, visit www.pearlandedc.com.

Media contacts:
Sara Cicero
[email protected]
770-331-0269

Melissa Cook
[email protected]
281-997-3003

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f8f49ccf-861c-4173-a6db-06fbdf54ccbb

Texas Construction Hat AOI Begins Expansion of Pearland Manufacturing Campus

Key Takeaways AAOI is benefiting from steady CATV demand and higher-speed optical product engagement. CATV revenues rose 24% sequentially in Q1, with Q2 revenues expected to be at $75-$80 million.Datacenter revenues more than doubled year over year as AI and cloud demand boosted orders. Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI - Free Report) , which designs and manufactures fiber-optic networking products for internet data centers, cable television, telecommunications and fiber-to-the-home end markets, is benefiting from steady demand for its cable television (“CATV”) products.

In the first quarter of 2026, CATV revenues were $66.8 million, up 24% sequentially, supported by shipments of 1.8 GHz amplifiers to its largest CATV customer and expanding engagement with additional MSOs. For the second quarter, management expects CATV revenues of $75 million to $80 million. Based on recent customer discussions, AAOI now expects to generate more than $325 million annually in CATV, with the majority tied to amplifier deployments and some contribution from software solutions.

Applied Optoelectronics' CATV business is benefiting from ongoing broadband infrastructure upgrades as cable operators expand network capacity to support rising data consumption and faster internet services. The CATV segment also offers AAOI a diversified revenue base, complementing its data center business and helping reduce dependence on a single end market.

Datacenter revenues in the March quarter reached $81.4 million, more than doubling from the year-ago quarter, as customer engagement strengthened around higher-speed optical products. The ramp helped offset a smaller telecom contribution and drove the company’s top line. We note that in the first quarter of 2026, total revenues increased 51.4% year over year to $151.1 million.

Applied Optoelectronics has highlighted accelerating AI-driven datacenter investment as a key demand driver and pointed to strong customer engagement around both 800G transceivers and emerging 1.6 Tb products. The company also said it anticipates sequential revenue growth through 2026, with significantly larger growth expected starting in the third quarter as additional capacity comes online.

Applied Optoelectronics' data center business is benefiting from the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and cloud computing, which require significantly higher bandwidth and faster optical connectivity. The company supplies high-speed optical transceivers used in hyperscale data centers to connect servers, switches and GPUs, with growing demand for 400G, 800G and next-generation 1.6T solutions.

As cloud service providers continue to invest heavily in AI clusters and network upgrades, AAOI is experiencing stronger order volumes and an improving product mix. Its vertically integrated manufacturing model enables tighter cost control, faster production scaling and greater pricing competitiveness, helping the company capitalize on the industry's transition to higher-speed optical networking.

Taking a Look at Some Other AI StocksMicron Technology (MU - Free Report) is poised to be the key beneficiary of surging AI-related infrastructure spending, as companies continue to build out GPU clusters and AI data centers that require advanced memory solutions. AI PCs are an important part of Micron’s growth plan. An expanding partner base that includes the likes of NVIDIA, AMD and Intel is enabling Micron to capture a larger share of the AI infrastructure market. Deepening relationships with major cloud and enterprise customers ensures stable revenue streams and reduces the risk of pricing volatility. 

Micron’s transformation as a key AI infrastructure supplier, supported by surging AI-driven High Bandwidth Memory or HBM demand, explosive revenue growth, expanding margins, strong cash generation and its Anthropic partnership, provides multiple catalysts for significant upside.

Teradyne (TER - Free Report) is benefiting from strong AI-related demand, which is driving significant investments in cloud AI build-out as customers accelerate production of a wide range of AI accelerators, networking, memory and power devices.

The company is being aided by the growing demand for AI infrastructure, which is driving robust growth across its semiconductor test business. Teradyne expects robust growth in the semiconductor test market, particularly in the compute segment, which is projected to expand significantly due to the rapid build-out of AI data centers and the growth of edge AI.

AAOI’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of AAOI have surged in triple digits (% wise) over the past six months, outperforming the Zacks Electronics - Semiconductors industry’s return.

6-Month Price ComparisonImage Source: Zacks Investment Research

In terms of forward 12-month Price/Sales (P/S), Applied Optoelectronics is trading at a discount compared with its industry.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

See how the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AAOI’s earnings has been revised over the past 90 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

AAOI’s Zacks RankAAOI currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.