AAOI
Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
AAOI has the edge over SMSI overall, supported by stronger fundamentals and stronger modeled upside.
SMSI
Smith Micro Software, Inc.
SMSI has lower modeled downside risk, despite its lower overall score.
AAOI Fundamentals
| Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| Strong | |
| Under pressure | |
| Weak | |
| Unavailable |
AAOI's revenue is currently strong, but its profitability and cash flow are under pressure. There isn't enough data to rate its balance sheet.
SMSI Fundamentals
| Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| Stable | |
| Weak | |
| Under pressure | |
| Strong |
SMSI's balance sheet is currently strong, and its revenue is stable, but its profitability and cash flow are under pressure.
AAOI PE Valuation
AAOI has no meaningful PE right now: it lost money over the past year. If it returns to profit as analysts expect, today's price would be 18x next year's earnings.
SMSI PE Valuation
SMSI has no meaningful PE right now: it lost money over the past year.
AAOI Forward outlook
| Metric | Outlook |
|---|---|
| -- | |
| Returning to profit | |
| Strong growth | |
| Strongly improving | |
| Limited | |
| Low |
Analysts expect AAOI to return to profit, with revenue growing. However, they disagree widely on these estimates.
SMSI Forward outlook
| Metric | Outlook |
|---|---|
| -- | |
| Losses shrinking | |
| Strong growth | |
| Strongly improving | |
| Limited | |
| High |
Analysts expect SMSI's losses to shrink, with revenue growing.
AAOI Earnings Per Share
| Quarter | TTM EPS | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Forward | $2.98 | — |
| Q3 2026 | -$0.42 | +$3.02 |
| Q2 2026 | -$0.77 | +$2.81 |
| Q1 2026 | -$0.65 | +$3.43 |
| Q4 2025 | -$0.64 | +$3.86 |
| Q3 2025 | -$3.44 | -$1.41 |
| Q2 2025 | -$3.58 | -$1.70 |
| Q1 2025 | -$4.08 | -$2.29 |
| Q4 2024 | -$4.50 | -$2.75 |
SMSI has the stronger earnings trend. Trailing diluted EPS is down 112% for AAOI versus SMSI down 109%.
SMSI Earnings Per Share
| Quarter | TTM EPS | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2024 | -$26.40 | -$9.20 |
| Q2 2024 | -$26.90 | -$8.90 |
| Q1 2024 | -$27.20 | -$6.80 |
| Q4 2023 | -$15.20 | +$6.00 |
| Q3 2023 | -$17.20 | +$2.00 |
| Q2 2023 | -$18.00 | +$10.80 |
| Q1 2023 | -$20.40 | +$6.40 |
| Q4 2022 | -$21.20 | +$3.20 |
SMSI is still losing money, but far less than before: $2.32 per share over the past year, against $28.80 at its worst in mid-2022.
AAOI Quarterly Revenue
| Quarter | Revenue | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $269.9M | +127% |
| Q2 2026 | $191.9M | +86% |
| Q1 2026 | $151.1M | +51% |
| Q4 2025 | $134.3M | +34% |
| Q3 2025 | $118.6M | +82% |
| Q2 2025 | $103M | +138% |
| Q1 2025 | $99.9M | +146% |
| Q4 2024 | $100.3M | +66% |
AAOI has the edge over SMSI on sales, with more consistent year-over-year improvement.
| Quarter | Margin | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | -0.5% | +15 points |
| Q2 2026 | -13% | +2.6 points |
| Q1 2026 | -8.6% | +0.3 points |
| Q4 2025 | -8.6% | -2.1 points |
| Q3 2025 | -15% | +10 points |
| Q2 2025 | -16% | +45 points |
| Q1 2025 | -8.9% | +44 points |
| Q4 2024 | -6.5% | +1 points |
AAOI has the edge over SMSI on profitability, with a higher operating margin.
SMSI Quarterly Revenue
| Quarter | Revenue | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $5M | +15% |
| Q2 2026 | $4.3M | -1.8% |
| Q1 2026 | $4.2M | -8.7% |
| Q4 2025 | $4M | -20% |
| Q3 2025 | $4.3M | -6.5% |
| Q2 2025 | $4.4M | -14% |
| Q1 2025 | $4.6M | -20% |
| Q4 2024 | $5M | -42% |
SMSI's revenue is recovering but still below its 2021 peak: $5M last quarter, up 15% from the same quarter a year ago.
| Quarter | Margin | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | -29% | +74 points |
| Q2 2026 | -55% | +284 points |
| Q1 2026 | -80% | +33 points |
| Q4 2025 | -110% | -20 points |
| Q3 2025 | -103% | +37 points |
| Q2 2025 | -338% | -203 points |
| Q1 2025 | -113% | +430 points |
| Q4 2024 | -90% | -23 points |
SMSI's operating margin was −29% last quarter, up 74 points from the same quarter a year ago.
AAOI Free Cash Flow
| Quarter | Free cash flow | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | -$369.9M | -$291.2M |
| Q2 2026 | -$265.3M | -$174.4M |
| Q1 2026 | -$143.6M | -$64.3M |
| Q4 2025 | -$104.6M | -$51.6M |
| Q3 2025 | -$78.7M | -$58M |
| Q2 2025 | -$91M | -$86M |
| Q1 2025 | -$79.3M | -$45.1M |
| Q4 2024 | -$53M | -$48.4M |
AAOI has burned cash in almost every quarter: −$883M over the past year, against −$302M the year before.
SMSI Free Cash Flow
| Quarter | Free cash flow | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | -$192K | +$2M |
| Q2 2026 | -$943K | +$1.4M |
| Q1 2026 | -$3.8M | -$3.2M |
| Q4 2025 | -$2.2M | +$2.7M |
| Q3 2025 | -$2.2M | +$1.7M |
| Q2 2025 | -$2.3M | +$1.9M |
| Q1 2025 | -$606K | +$743K |
| Q4 2024 | -$4.9M | -$3.9M |
SMSI has the edge over AAOI on cash flow, with more consistent year-over-year improvement.
AAOI Net Leverage
AAOI's operating earnings (EBITDA) were negative over the past year, so its debt can't be measured against them.
SMSI Net Leverage
| Quarter | Net Leverage | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2021 | -23.7x | Net Cash |
| Q4 2020 | -3.6x | Net Cash |
| Q3 2020 | -2.5x | Net Cash |
| Q2 2020 | -1.9x | Net Cash |
| Q1 2020 | -1.4x | Net Cash |
| Q4 2019 | -2.5x | Net Cash |
SMSI has more cash than debt.
AAOI Weekly Momentum
| Metric | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| RSI | 35.1 | Neutral |
| Stochastic | 4.8 | Oversold |
AAOI's weekly RSI is 35 (neutral) and its Stochastic is 5 (oversold).
SMSI Weekly Momentum
| Metric | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| RSI | 39.1 | Neutral |
| Stochastic | 10.8 | Oversold |
SMSI's weekly RSI is 39 (neutral) and its Stochastic is 11 (oversold).
AAOI PE vs Technology Sector
AAOI has no meaningful PE right now: it lost money over the past year.
SMSI PE vs Technology Sector
| Metric | SMSI | Sector median | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | N/A | 28x | — |
SMSI has no meaningful PE right now: it lost money over the past year.
AAOI Weekly Moving Averages
| Moving average | MA price | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 8 week MA | $80.2 | 34% below |
| 20 week MA | $100.6 | 47% below |
| 50 week MA | $100.3 | 47% below |
| 100 week MA | $62.3 | 15% below |
| 200 week MA | $36.9 | 43% above |
AAOI has the edge over SMSI on trend strength, trading above more of its moving averages.
SMSI Weekly Moving Averages
| Moving average | MA price | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 8 week MA | $2.45 | 2% below |
| 20 week MA | $2.63 | 8.7% below |
| 50 week MA | $3.04 | 21% below |
| 100 week MA | $3.81 | 37% below |
| 200 week MA | $18.6 | 87% below |
SMSI is in a downtrend: it's below all five of its weekly moving averages, and 87% below its 200-week average.
AAOI Yearly ROI
| Year | Start price | End price | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $11.5 | $8.77 | -24% |
| 2021 | $8.77 | $5.64 | -36% |
| 2022 | $5.64 | $1.95 | -65% |
| 2023 | $1.95 | $19.3 | +891% |
| 2024 | $19.3 | $37.7 | +95% |
| 2025 | $37.7 | $37.2 | -1.5% |
| 2026 YTD | $37.2 | $52.9 | +42% |
AAOI has the edge over SMSI on returns for 2026, with the stronger performance.
SMSI Yearly ROI
| Year | Start price | End price | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $154.8 | $213.6 | +38% |
| 2021 | $213.6 | $201.6 | -5.6% |
| 2022 | $201.6 | $82.4 | -59% |
| 2023 | $82.4 | $33.1 | -60% |
| 2024 | $33.1 | $7.25 | -78% |
| 2025 | $7.25 | $2.85 | -61% |
| 2026 YTD | $2.85 | $2.40 | -16% |
SMSI has finished five years in a row lower, and it's down 16% so far in 2026.