AI Optical Stocks Surge 13%... Market Cap Increases by 1.5 Trillion Won in One Day

Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (NASDAQ: AAOI) closed up 13.1% at $99.05, boosting its market value to about $7.4 billion (roughly KRW 10 trillion). In a single day, its market cap rose by approximately $1.1 billion (around KRW 1.5 trillion), with trading volume topping 7.17 million shares amid strong investor demand.

The company has stepped up aggressive expansion and fundraising efforts. Through Raymond James and Needham, it doubled its at-the-market (ATM) common stock issuance program from $250 million to $500 million (about KRW 750 billion). It also inked a contract for a new ISO Class 6 cleanroom expansion at its Sugar Land, Texas facility, valued at about $30.9 million (approximately KRW 46 billion).

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, Applied Optoelectronics supplies optical transceivers and lasers for data centers, telecommunications, and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks. The company has drawn attention with a supply agreement with Microsoft and an equity investment option from Amazon, fueling expectations of upside from the AI data center boom.