Why Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) stock is down today as tech pulls back
New York, January 8, 2026, 13:44 (ET) — Regular session Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI.O) slid 14.9% to $32.40 in afternoon trading on Thursday after opening at $37.91, with about 6.2 million shares changing hands. The stock hit an intraday low of $31.70. The drop landed as investors trimmed exposure to big tech, leaving the Nasdaq down about 0.5% around midday even as the Dow rose. “Investors might be repositioning their holdings,” Joe Saluzzi, partner and co-founder at Themis Trading, said, adding it was too soon to call it a lasting rotation away from tech. Other optics and data-center networking names were