UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 1013, 2026

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.

(Exact name of ~~Registrant~~registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	001-36083	76-0533927
(State of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
(State of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

13139 Jess Pirtle Blvd. Sugar Land, Texas 77478

Sugar Land, TX 77478

(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

(281) 295-1800

(Registrant'’s telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Trading Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, Par value $0.001	AAOI	NASDAQ Global Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨o

Item 75.0102 ~~Regulation~~Departure FDof ~~Disclosure~~Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On February 13, 2026, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. ~~issued~~(the a“Company”) ~~press~~approved ~~release~~an ~~announcing~~amendment (the “Executive ~~groundbreaking~~Employment ~~ceremony~~Agreement ~~for~~Amendment”) ato ~~new~~each ~~manufacturing~~of ~~facility.~~the ~~The full~~Employment ~~text~~Agreements, dated as of August 5, 2016 (each, an “Executive Employment Agreement”), by and between the ~~press~~Company ~~release~~and is(i) ~~attached~~Stefan asJ. ~~Exhibit 99~~Murry, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, (ii) Hung-Lun (Fred) Chang, Senior Vice President and North America General Manager, (iii) Shu-Hua (Joshua) Yeh, Senior Vice President and Asia General Manager, and (iv) David C.1 Kuo, Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and isCorporate ~~incorporated~~Secretary to ~~herein~~provide byfor ~~reference~~enhanced severance payments and benefits.

InSpecifically, ~~accordance~~the ~~with~~Executive Employment ~~General~~Agreement Amendment provides that (a) if the executive officer’s employment is terminated without Cause (as defined in ~~Instruction~~the ~~B.2~~applicable Executive Employment Agreement) or the executive officer resigns for Good Reason (as defined in the applicable Executive Employment Agreement), the executive officer will be eligible to receive (x) a payment equal to nine months of ~~Form 8~~the executive officer’s then-Kcurrent annual base salary (increased from six months), (y) a payment equal to the ~~information~~dollar invalue ~~this~~of ~~Item~~nine ~~7.01~~months of ~~this~~the ~~Current~~executive ~~Report~~officer’s annual ontarget ~~Form 8-K~~bonus (increased from six months), ~~including~~and ~~Exhibit 99.1 shall~~(z) ~~not~~reimbursement befor ~~deemed~~continuing ~~“filed”~~health coverage premiums under COBRA for up to 12 months (increased from $15,000); and (b) if the ~~purposes~~executive ofofficer’s ~~Section 18~~employment ofis terminated without Cause or the ~~Securities~~executive ~~Exchange~~officer resigns ~~Act~~for ofGood ~~1934~~Reason, asin ~~amended~~each case, within six months prior to, or within 12 months following, a Change of Control (as defined in the applicable ~~“Exchange~~Executive Employment Agreement), the executive officer will be eligible to receive (x) a payment equal to 15 months of the ~~Act”~~executive officer’s then-current annual base salary (increased from 12 months), or(y) ~~otherwise~~a ~~subject~~payment equal to the ~~liabilities~~dollar value of ~~that~~15 ~~section,~~months of ~~nor~~the ~~shall~~executive itofficer’s beannual ~~deemed~~target ~~incorporated~~bonus by(increased ~~reference~~from in12 ~~any~~months), ~~filing~~and (z) reimbursement for continuing health coverage premiums under COBRA for up to 15 months (increased from $15,000). The executive officers’ receipt of all severance payments and benefits under the ~~Exchange~~Executive ~~Act~~Employment orAgreements (including the ~~Securities~~enhanced ~~Act,~~severance ~~except~~payments asand ~~shall~~benefits bepursuant ~~expressly~~to the Executive Employment Agreement Amendments) is subject to certain terms and conditions set forth byin ~~reference~~the inExecutive ~~such~~Employment Agreements, including that the executive officers execute and not revoke a ~~filing~~general release of claims in favor of the Company.

~~Item~~The ~~9.01~~foregoing ~~Financial~~description of ~~Statements~~the Executive Employment Agreement Amendment does not purport to be complete and ~~Exhibits~~is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the form of Executive Employment Agreement Amendment, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.

Item 9.01.

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

Exhibit No.		Description
99.1		Press Release of Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. issued on February 13, 2026.
10.1		Form of Executive Employment Agreement Amendment.
104		Cover Page Interactive ~~Data~~ File (the cover page tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, ~~as amended,~~ the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS, INC. By: /s/ David C. Kuo Name: David C. Kuo Title: Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer

Date: February 13 19, 2026

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