Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) stock plummeted 7.14% during intraday trading on Thursday, extending recent declines for the optical communications component maker.

The sharp drop follows the company's disappointing first-quarter earnings report, which showed a loss per share of $0.12 that missed market expectations. The earnings miss has led to sustained selling pressure since mid-May, with broader weakness across the optical communications sector adding to the downward momentum. Peer companies in the sector also experienced declines during the same session.

Additional negative sentiment stemmed from news that a company director sold a significant number of shares, which may have contributed to investor concerns. Despite some positive developments regarding production capacity for 800G optical modules, the market remains cautious about the company's near-term profitability outlook.