FKWL vs AAOI Stock Comparison

Franklin Wireless and Applied Optoelectronics Prices as of Oct 27, 2026 Peers: Industry group
FKWL Franklin Wireless Corp
$2.17 -10.0% 1M -57.5% 1Y
Market cap
$25.57M
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$36.51M
Div. yield
1.84%
Networking Equipment Technology
3 wins

Head to Head

8 decided of 12

Applied Optoelectronics leads on 5 of the 12 questions below (Applied Optoelectronics 5, Franklin Wireless 3). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionFKWLAAOILeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $25.57M $6.49B AAOI
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only -5.4x -110.1x –
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 54.3x 108.4x FKWL
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months -20.8% +61.8% AAOI
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months -13.0% -9.6% AAOI
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — -4.2% –
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA — 13.8x –
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 1.84% — –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -57.5% +106.7% AAOI
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -15.7%/yr +58.7%/yr AAOI
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 32.3% 138.8% FKWL
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 37/100 33/100 FKWL

Percentile Scorecard

FKWLAAOI

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisFKWLAAOI
Valuation 30 #79 of 112 13 #98 of 112
Growth 1 #108 of 109 56 #49 of 109
Profitability 15 #89 of 104 17 #87 of 104
Financial Health 63 #44 of 116 72 #33 of 116
Shareholder Returns 76 #20 of 81 9 #74 of 81
Overall 37 33
  • FKWL ranked among 122 companies in Computer Hardware
  • AAOI ranked among 122 companies in Computer Hardware

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodFKWLAAOISPY
1 month -10.0%-24.1% -0.2%
3 months -6.1%-12.7% +3.9%
6 months -39.7%-43.9% +8.2%
Year to date -50.3%+120.7% +12.9%
1 year -57.5%+106.7% +12.3%
3 years -24.9%+993.0% +87.4%
3 years, per year -9.1%+122.0% +23.3%
5 years -57.4%+904.6% +67.9%
5 years, per year -15.7%+58.7% +10.9%
10 years -9.6%+284.9% +261.1%
10 years, per year -1.0%+14.4% +13.7%

Risk

MeasureFKWLAAOISPY
Volatility, 1Y 32.3%138.8% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 36.6%126.6% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y -0.124.31 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -1.780.77 0.97
Max drawdown, 5Y -68.9%-82.6% -25.4%
From 52-week high -58.1%-65.5% -1.2%
52-week high $5.18$223.10 $779.14
52-week low $2.16$19.49 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleFKWLAAOI
P/E now vs peer median -5.4xmedian 33.2x -110.1xmedian 33.2x
P/S now vs peer median 0.7xmedian 2.8x 10.9xmedian 2.8x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median —median 20.0x -188.5xmedian 20.0x
P/FCF now vs peer median -4.0xmedian 29.8x -10.8xmedian 29.8x
P/B now vs peer median 0.8xmedian 3.0x 3.9xmedian 3.0x
PEG now vs peer median 0.30median 1.17 -3.32median 1.17

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsFKWLAAOI
Revenue $36.51M $595.97M
Gross profit $6.26M $172.33M
Operating income -$2.68M -$67.41M
Net income -$6.92M -$57.02M
Free cash flow -$6.33M -$600.81M
R&D $3.23M $107.61M
EPS (diluted) $-0.40 $-0.70
Cash & equivalents – $499.74M
Total debt – $57.26M
Shares (diluted) 11.78M 81.57M
Enterprise value -$97.09M $5.21B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricFKWLAAOI
P/E -5.4x -110.1x
P/FCF -4.0x -10.8x
P/Operating cash flow -4.1x -49.3x
P/S 0.7x 10.9x
P/B 0.8x 3.9x
P/Tangible book 0.9x 3.9x
EV/EBITDA – -188.5x
EV/EBIT -2.6x -89.8x
EV/Revenue 0.2x 10.2x
EV/FCF -1.1x -10.1x
EV/Operating cash flow -1.1x -45.9x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.30 -3.32

Growth

14 metrics
MetricFKWLAAOI
Revenue growth (1Y) -20.8% 61.8%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) -7.4% 40.9%
Gross profit growth (1Y) -21.0% 62.0%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) -3.8% 73.3%
Operating income growth (1Y) 6.5% -40.6%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -4.5% -2.8%
Net income growth (1Y) -4,827% 63.4%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -32.9% 6.2%
EPS growth (1Y) -1,851% 74.5%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -18.2% 33.2%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) -441.4% 15.2%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -49.6% -168.6%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -449.2% -146.3%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -48.6% -294.2%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricFKWLAAOI
Gross margin 17.1% 28.9%
EBITDA margin – -5.4%
Operating margin -7.3% -11.3%
Pretax margin -19.3% -10.6%
Net margin -13.0% -9.6%
FCF margin -17.3% -100.8%
Operating cash flow margin -17.2% -22.1%
Return on equity -20.7% -4.1%
Return on assets -14.3% -2.9%
Return on invested capital – -4.2%
Return on capital employed -8.1% -4.5%
Asset turnover 0.8x 0.3x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 0.9x 2.3x
Stock comp / revenue – 2.6%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricFKWLAAOI
Debt / assets – 2.5%
Debt / equity – 0.0x
Net debt / EBITDA – 13.8x
Debt / FCF – -0.1x
Liabilities / assets 34.2% 27.5%
Equity / assets 65.8% 72.5%
Interest coverage – -19.1x
Current ratio 2.7x 2.8x
Quick ratio 1.4x 1.9x
Cash ratio 1.2x 1.2x
Altman Z-score 2.81 6.39

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricFKWLAAOI
Dividend yield 1.8% –
Net buyback yield – -20.8%
Shareholder yield 1.8% -20.8%
Payout ratio (earnings) – –
Payout ratio (FCF) – –
Dividend growth (1Y) – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusFKWLAAOI
Forward P/E 54.3xFY2027 108.4xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $0.04FY2027 $0.71FY2026
EPS growth, the year after -50.0% +646.5%
Revenue, next fiscal year $46.08MFY2027 $994.70MFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +26.2%FY2027 +118.3%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +19.3% +185.6%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersFKWLAAOI
Held by institutions 13.1% 60.5%
Institutions holding 19 481
Change in shares held, QoQ +38.6% -3.5%
Institutions buying 9 313
Institutions selling 3 143
Buyers to sellers 3.00 2.19

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

FKWLAAOI
FKWL 1.00 0.05
AAOI 0.05 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, FKWL and AAOI?

Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) is the largest by market capitalisation: Franklin Wireless (FKWL) $25.57M, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) $6.49B.

Which company is growing faster?

Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Franklin Wireless (FKWL) -20.8%, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) +61.8%.

Which company is more profitable?

Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) has the highest net margin (Franklin Wireless (FKWL) -13.0%, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) -9.6%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) returned the most: Franklin Wireless (FKWL) -57.5%, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) +106.7%. Over five years, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) compounded fastest (Franklin Wireless (FKWL) -15.7%/yr, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) +58.7%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: Franklin Wireless (FKWL) 1.84%. Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Franklin Wireless (FKWL) has been the steadiest (Franklin Wireless (FKWL) 32.3%, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) 138.8%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Do FKWL and AAOI move together?

Their daily returns over the past year have a correlation of 0.05, a weak relationship. Holding both diversifies more than two closely linked stocks would.

Which is the better stock, FKWL and AAOI?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) leads on 5. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.