What happened
Shares of fiber-optic network products provider Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI 1.17%) jumped on Thursday after the company released preliminary first-quarter results that exceeded its previous guidance. The company expects revenue, gross margin, and net income to be higher than expected, driven by strong demand for its data center products. At 11:30 a.m. EDT, Applied Optoelectronics stock was up about 12%.
So what
Applied Optoelectronics will report its full first-quarter results on May 4. It now expects revenue of $96.2 million, up from its previous guidance range of $87 million to $91 million. CEO Dr. Thompson Lin pointed to robust demand for the company's data center products, as well as solid execution, for the exceptional results.
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GAAP and non-GAAP gross margins are now expected in the range of 42.5% to 42.9%, up from a previous guidance range of 38% to 42%. Combined with the higher revenue, this will produce non-GAAP net income between $19.7 million and $20.2 million. That compares to a guidance range of $15.5 million to $17.2 million.
Applied Optoelectronics expects non-GAAP EPS in the range of $1.00 to $1.02, above its guidance of $0.80 and $0.82. The company reported a non-GAAP net loss of $0.04 during the first quarter of 2016.
Now what
Applied Optoelectronics' profits have soared in the past two quarters on strong revenue growth, and the first quarter will continue that trend. Despite slumping since late March, the stock is up nearly 200% over the past year, driven by these strong results.
While investors have been pushing down Applied Optoelectronics stock in recent days on no apparent news, solid first-quarter results were enough to undo some of that decline.
