Maase Inc. (Maase (MAAS)) is making a clean break from car washes to double down on artificial intelligence. The company announced Friday that 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. The stock dropped nearly 9% on the news.
Laixi Intelligent runs an unmanned car wash business — a non-core asset that Maase is shedding as part of a broader strategy to streamline its portfolio and pour resources into higher-growth AI opportunities. Once the deal closes, Maase will have zero equity interest in the company.
The sale proceeds will be paid in installments. Maase plans to redirect management attention and capital toward AI infrastructure, distributed intelligent computing, large language models, algorithms, intelligent hardware, and industrial AI applications. The company says the move is designed 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. He added that Maase will continue to integrate computing power, large language models, algorithms, intelligent hardware, and scenario-based services while pursuing sustainable growth.
Despite Friday’s pullback, Maase remains in a strong long-term uptrend. The stock has surged about 376% over the past year. It trades about 18% above its 20-day simple moving average of $16.20 and nearly 44% above its 50-day SMA of $13.30. That wide gap can leave shares vulnerable to sharper pullbacks during periods of market weakness, but momentum remains constructive. The MACD is above its signal line, and the histogram is positive, indicating buying pressure still outweighs selling pressure.
The broader trend also looks favorable. The 20-day SMA is above the 50-day SMA, and the 50-day SMA remains above the 200-day SMA of $7.30 — a classic alignment that 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 is an important level for traders to watch during any rebound.
At the time of publication Friday, Maase shares were down 8.74% at $19.12, according to market data.
