Aixtron has sold off considerably since my last update and I have not found any definitive reason for the sharp decline. However, I do have a theory about what might have happened.
Aixtron had been mentioned as a possible acquisition target of Applied Materials (AMAT). However, on June 6 Applied Materials announced it made a nonbinding proposal to acquire parts of ASM International (ASMI). The stock price of Aixtron dropped considerably in the days following the announcement. I believe some institution or hedge fund had taken a position in Aixtron solely because of its buyout potential and when the AMAT announcement came out they decided to bail. Since Aixtron has a low float this institutional selling caused a significant decline in the share price.
I think Aixtron is a good company to own regardless of a buyout and I think the institution or hedge fund that decided to dump Aixtron made a foolish decision. I still like the company and I am going to recommend buying some more and averaging down (I will use Friday’s closing price for calculation purposes). (more…)