Maase Inc. (NASDAQ:MAAS) said Friday it agreed to sell its entire indirect 49% stake in Qingdao Huiju Laixi Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. to an independent third party for $17 million in cash, as the company sharpens its focus on artificial intelligence.
Following the announcement, the stock fell nearly 9%.
Maase Exits Non-Core Business
The transaction, announced Friday, will be paid in installments. Once the deal closes, Maase will no longer hold any equity interest in Laixi Intelligent.
Laixi Intelligent operates an unmanned car wash business. Maase said the divestiture is part of its ongoing effort to streamline its portfolio and concentrate on higher-growth AI opportunities.
Following the sale, the company plans to direct more management attention and capital toward AI infrastructure, distributed intelligent computing, large language models and algorithms, intelligent hardware, and industrial AI applications. Maase said the move is intended to improve capital allocation efficiency and support long-term shareholder value.
“This transaction marks an important step in sharpening our strategic focus. By divesting non-core assets, we expect to enhance our financial flexibility and direct more resources toward AI technology development and infrastructure deployment, which we believe offer greater long-term strategic value,” CEO Min Zhou said.
Zhou added that Maase will continue to integrate computing power, large language models, algorithms, intelligent hardware, and scenario-based services while pursuing sustainable growth.
Technical Analysis
Despite Friday’s pullback, Maase remains in a strong long-term uptrend. The stock has surged about 376% over the past year.
The stock trades about 18% above its 20-day simple moving average of $16.20 and nearly 44% above its 50-day SMA of $13.30. Such a wide gap can leave shares vulnerable to sharper pullbacks during periods of market weakness.
Momentum also remains constructive. The MACD stays above its signal line, and the histogram remains positive, indicating buying momentum continues to outweigh selling pressure.
The broader trend also remains favorable. The 20-day SMA is above the 50-day SMA, while the 50-day SMA remains above the 200-day SMA of $7.30. That alignment typically signals a sustained uptrend.
The stock’s recent 52-week high of $24.90 could act as longer-term resistance, while the area around $19.50 remains an important level for traders to watch during any rebound.
Price Action
MAAS Stock Price Activity: Maase shares were down 8.74% at $19.12 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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