Applied OptoElectonics 500% One-Year Return: Everythng Investors Need to Know

Since last summer, shares of Applied OptoElectronics (NASDAQ: AAOI) are up nearly 500% and nearly 200% since the start of 2017. Those numbers have drawn the attention of many investors, and while the stock could have more upside left in it, caution is a must after such an impressive run.

Founded during the tech boom of the late 1990s, AOI is a designer and manufacturer of components used in fiber optic communications equipment. The company went public in the fall of 2013. It's been a wild ride for those that have been on since then, but the rewards have been ample.