STOCK TITAN

AAOI (AAOI) CEO Lin sells 59,000 shares and reports 86,655-share tax withholding

Filing Impact
(Very High)
Filing Sentiment
(Very Negative)
Form Type
4

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS, INC. President and CEO Lin Chih-Hsiang (Thompson) reported an open-market sale of common stock and a related tax-withholding entry. On June 12, 2026, he sold 59,000 shares of common stock at a weighted average price of $166.53 per share. On the same date, 86,655 shares were withheld to satisfy applicable tax withholding obligations, which is a non-market disposition.

Following these transactions, Lin directly holds 1,302,436 shares of APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS common stock. In addition, 807,602 shares are indirectly held by the Thompson Lin Family Trust for the benefit of his heirs. Lin is the settlor and retains certain voting power but disclaims beneficial ownership of those trust-held shares except to that extent.

Positive

  • None.

Negative

  • None.
Insider Lin Chih-Hsiang (Thompson)
Role President and CEO
Sold 59,000 shs ($9.83M)
Type Security Shares Price Value
Tax Withholding Common Stock, $.001 par value 86,655 $172.78 $14.97M
Sale Common Stock, $.001 par value 59,000 $166.53 $9.83M
holding Common Stock, $.001 par value -- -- --
Holdings After Transaction: Common Stock, $.001 par value — 1,361,436 shares (Direct, null); Common Stock, $.001 par value — 807,602 shares (Indirect, By Thompson Lin Family Trust)
Footnotes (1)
  1. Consists of shares withheld to satisfy applicable tax withholding obligations. The shares were sold in multiple transactions on June 12, 2026, at sale prices ranging from $163.78 to $171.8 per share. The price reported reflects the weighted average sale price for the transactions. The reporting person undertakes to provide upon request by SEC staff, the issuer, or a security holder of the issuer, full information regarding the number of shares sold during each transaction. The securities indirectly held in the Family Trust through the ownership of interests in the LLC are for the benefit of the reporting person's heirs. The reporting person is the settlor of the irrevocable Family Trust, where The Bryn Mawr Trust Company of Delaware serves as trustee which may be replaced at the discretion of the reporting person. The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities except to the extent of his voting power therein, and the inclusion of these shares in this report shall not be deemed an admission of beneficial ownership of all of the reported shares for purposes of Section 16 or for any other purpose.
Shares sold 59,000 shares Open-market sale on June 12, 2026
Sale price (weighted average) $166.53/share Common stock sale on June 12, 2026
Tax-withheld shares 86,655 shares Shares delivered to satisfy tax obligations
Direct holdings after transactions 1,302,436 shares Common stock directly owned by CEO after June 12, 2026
Indirect trust holdings 807,602 shares Shares held by Thompson Lin Family Trust for heirs
Tax-withholding price $172.78/share Price used for 86,655-share tax-withholding disposition
tax withholding obligations financial
"Consists of shares withheld to satisfy applicable tax withholding obligations."
weighted average sale price financial
"The price reported reflects the weighted average sale price for the transactions."
Family Trust financial
"The securities indirectly held in the Family Trust through the ownership of interests in the LLC"
beneficial ownership financial
"The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities except to the extent of his voting power therein"
Beneficial ownership means the person or entity that actually enjoys the benefits of owning shares or other assets — such as receiving dividends, voting rights, or price gains — even if the legal title is held in another name. For investors it matters because knowing who truly controls and profits from a company reveals who can influence decisions, exposes potential conflicts of interest or hidden concentration of power, and affects transparency and risk in the stock.
Section 16 regulatory
"shall not be deemed an admission of beneficial ownership of all of the reported shares for purposes of Section 16"
Section 16 is a U.S. securities law rule that governs the trading and disclosure obligations of company insiders — typically officers, directors and large shareholders — to promote transparency and deter unfair profit-taking. It requires insiders to publicly report their stock trades and allows companies or the issuer to reclaim quick, short-term profits from certain insider trades, like a scoreboard and a refund policy that help investors see and limit possible insider advantage.
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SEC Form 4
FORM 4UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
OMB APPROVAL
OMB Number:3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:0.5
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
Lin Chih-Hsiang (Thompson)

(Last)(First)(Middle)
C/O APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS, INC.
13139 JESS PIRTLE BLVD.

(Street)
SUGAR LAND TEXAS 77478

(City)(State)(Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS, INC. [ AAOI ]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
XDirector10% Owner
XOfficer (give title below)Other (specify below)
President and CEO
2a. Foreign Trading Symbol
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
06/12/2026
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
XForm filed by One Reporting Person
Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
CodeVAmount(A) or (D)Price
Common Stock, $.001 par value06/12/2026F86,655(1)D$172.781,361,436D
Common Stock, $.001 par value06/12/2026S59,000(2)D$166.531,302,436D
Common Stock, $.001 par value807,602IBy Thompson Lin Family Trust(3)
Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
CodeV(A)(D)Date ExercisableExpiration DateTitleAmount or Number of Shares
Explanation of Responses:
1. Consists of shares withheld to satisfy applicable tax withholding obligations.
2. The shares were sold in multiple transactions on June 12, 2026, at sale prices ranging from $163.78 to $171.8 per share. The price reported reflects the weighted average sale price for the transactions. The reporting person undertakes to provide upon request by SEC staff, the issuer, or a security holder of the issuer, full information regarding the number of shares sold during each transaction.
3. The securities indirectly held in the Family Trust through the ownership of interests in the LLC are for the benefit of the reporting person's heirs. The reporting person is the settlor of the irrevocable Family Trust, where The Bryn Mawr Trust Company of Delaware serves as trustee which may be replaced at the discretion of the reporting person. The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities except to the extent of his voting power therein, and the inclusion of these shares in this report shall not be deemed an admission of beneficial ownership of all of the reported shares for purposes of Section 16 or for any other purpose.
/s/ David C. Kuo, attorney in fact for Chih-Hsiang (Thompson) Lin06/16/2026
** Signature of Reporting PersonDate
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)

FAQ

What insider transactions did AAOI CEO Thompson Lin report on June 12, 2026?

Thompson Lin reported an open-market sale and a tax-withholding entry. He sold 59,000 shares of APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS common stock and had 86,655 shares withheld to cover tax obligations, both dated June 12, 2026.

How many AAOI shares did the CEO sell and at what price?

The CEO sold 59,000 AAOI common shares at a weighted average price of $166.53. The filing notes multiple trades that day with sale prices ranging from $163.78 to $171.8 per share, with $166.53 reported as the weighted average.

How many AAOI shares were withheld for taxes in the CEO’s Form 4?

A total of 86,655 AAOI shares were withheld to satisfy tax obligations. This disposition is coded as a tax-withholding transaction, meaning the shares were delivered to cover applicable taxes rather than sold in the open market.

What are Thompson Lin’s direct AAOI share holdings after these transactions?

After the reported transactions, Thompson Lin directly holds 1,302,436 AAOI shares. This figure reflects his remaining direct ownership of APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS common stock following the 59,000-share sale and the 86,655-share tax withholding.

How many AAOI shares are held through the Thompson Lin Family Trust?

The filing reports 807,602 AAOI shares indirectly held by the Thompson Lin Family Trust. These securities are for the benefit of Lin’s heirs, with a corporate trustee, and Lin disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of his voting power.

Does the AAOI CEO fully own the shares held in the Family Trust?

No, he disclaims full beneficial ownership of the Family Trust shares. The 807,602 AAOI shares are held for his heirs through an irrevocable Family Trust, and he acknowledges only limited beneficial ownership consistent with his voting power in those securities.